CCCXLIV: Christmas Spirit

I'll have to admit, if you weren't able to tell from many of my posts this/last week, I did not really have the Christmas spirit. Part of it was because my parents are away, part of it was because there seemed to be so little fanfare, and part of it was because I was apathetic ("Bah, humbug" is right).

Things started to change today. Not only was I excited to have a half-day at work before my one-week vacation, but I was honoured to have been invited to two Christmas eve dinners: one with family friends who have known me since I was 6, and one with Oli and some of her and her husbands' friends. My original plan was to then go to midnight mass. In fact, I dressed up for it because that is the only time of year when all of the young, attractive men at my church attend. And, being that the congregation consists of mostly Italians, these would be a lot of young, attractive, Italian men. Who I didn't even end up seeing because I was enjoying Oli's dinner party so much. (Sorry, God. Please forgive me.)

I was only going to stop by Oli's for an hour or so, mostly guided by the premise that it would be awkward and uncomfortable for me to be at a party where I only knew the host. But it was small and intimate enough (7 people including myself) and everyone was so friendly that my shyness quickly melted away and I felt accepted. And it's amusing to think that, my being the youngest there, and it being an adult party (I may be on the brink of accepting that I am, in fact, now an adult, though I often don't feel like I am), we watched not one but two Disney movies: A Christmas Carol (the animated version starring Jim Carrey) and Toy Story 3--both of which I had never seen before.

And the food! I always knew Oli had good taste and was an amazing cook, but she really went above and beyond. By the time I arrived it was 10:00pm and they had not started dinner yet because they had eaten a wheel of brie with cranberry & pear chutney in puff pastry (I really wish I hadn't missed this!); so we had dinner at 11:00pm or so (it was my second dinner of the night) and her dishes included:

• Mixed greens with homemade dressing
• Homemade tourtière - the first time I've ever tried it!
• Italian sausage with red and green peppers
• Lasagna
• Chicken with cognac-cream sauce
• Rice
• Butternut squash with a light cream sauce

All I can say is YUM and how in awe I was that she prepared the whole meal by herself, when I can barely handle cooking myself dinner some days...

And there was also a selection of desserts. 

I left her place a bit after 4:00am. Yes, I was tired, but it was so worth it, seeing that Oli gave me the best Christmas presents ever: food and good company.