Let the Right One In at Christmastime

It's certainly been a lovely holiday season so far!--gatherings of friends, gatherings of family wamily, and Santa came! In that case, we let the right one in! Why am I recalling the title of a vampire movie and novel--excellent! scary! Swedish!--at holiday time? Let me tell you about that!

First, there is the aforementioned Santa, the one you want to come! You might even leave milk and cookies for him, and carrots for the reindeer. Then there is the Grinch, the one Cindy Lou Who discovered taking away the Christmas tree in Whoville, and who returned it when his heart got big enough.

Then there are the uninvited guests. Like me. Don't let me in, even if I happen to barge in. Which, alas, I did, on our way to the holiday book group dinner gathering. There were cars in the driveway, which we expected. We were on Regency Drive, thanks to Google maps, etc. But, alas, we were still on North Regency Drive, just an intersection away from South Regency Drive, our actual destination.

"I'm Kathleen," I said to the nice young man who answered the door, apparently the host's husband. I entered boldly, smiling, and encountered a dinner table of guests who smiled back over their wine glasses at me. "We brought things!" I said, still in energetic greeting mode, the unfamiliarity of all the faces only just beginning to dawn on me.

"What's in the bag?" asked one of men as I cheerfully retreated, saying something like, "Oops, wrong house!" It was a Victoria's Secret bag, large and pink, with pink ribbon handles, sturdy enough to bring the veggies, dip, and plastic Rudolph-the-Red-Nosed-Reindeer relish trays.... My special happy new year greetings to the folks on North Regency Drive, and thanks for your big hearts! I'm glad I'm not a vampire, for your sakes!

All this is coming together on a Random Coinciday as I encounter a particular section of the book I am reading, The Liar's Club, by Mary Karr, as she discusses her imaginary vampire club (and some very icky actual stuff) in childhood. Reading this and Lit in December, I am all the more grateful for my own childhood, the safety and security in my loving family, and the continuing love and relative good health of us all. Today we all go Into the Woods together...! Even though, oddly enough, The Interview is playing in our town. None of us has the urge to see that.