Let It Snow

This is part of AndreaClaire's Christmas Memory Challenge series.

As the credits for some syndicated North American "chick show" rolled past, everyone sighed. The guys (my uncle and my seven year old cousin) were thrilled the "chick show" was over; the girls (my aunt, my twelve year old cousin and me) had rested long enough after a meal of meat fondue to bundle up and go out for an after dinner walk.

It had been my strangest Christmas yet. It was only the second one I had spend away from my immediate family, and, different as it was, I think it was as close to spending Christmas at home as I would ever get without spending Christmas at home. We had Christmas dinner a day early. Santa had totally different traditions. It took us five hours to open a small pile of gifts - that part was lovely. Because I was in Switzerland and had to lug everything home to London, my gifts were small. There were more gifts than usual under my aunt and uncle's tree...I brought gifts and I received gifts. We spent a leisurely Christmas morning and afternoon opening gifts and savouring them. There was no turkey to cook. There were no guests coming to visit. There was no rush. We got to try everything, read a chapter of a new book, listen to a new CD before moving on to the next gift.

After our dinner of fondue and our post-dinner laze in front of a random (and probably not very good) North American TV show, we decided to go for that walk. Christmas day had been sunny and clear. Geneva had been a bit chilly, but nothing unbearable and it had been a green Christmas. We bundled up and wandered through the neighbourhood. My aunt and uncle lived in a neighbourhood made up of mostly apartments and many people had their lights blazing and curtains open. We had a great time making up stories about the various Christmas parties we saw.

I was happy with my second Christmas away...although I missed the snow, it was a lovely day.

And, just as we approached the front door, the snow started falling. A white Christmas after all...