It was 8:30pm. I knew in about an hour I would be calling mission complete. On time and ahead of Christmas eve. I was feeling very proud as I moved my desk parallel to the wall and covering with a crumpled sheet. On the sheet, I developed a scene with Santa dashing towards an old farm house in a field of snow. In the background, I put a plastic train that was glued to a 24” track. These were oddity things I pick-up over the years. They were battery operated with motion detectors. Any motion in the room, …show more content…
I fired one up and began sipping on my toddy. Looking around thinking of anything I may have forgot, I remembered the 6 electric air fresheners I had purchased earlier in the month, they were under the kitchen sink in a bag. They had a smell of pine tree and cinnamon. I placed 1 in my son’s room, 1 in the bathroom, 2 in the kitchen and 2 in the front room. Then returned to the table to finish my break. Sitting there I guess I had an epiphany of sorts. I was about to complete one of the best decoration projects I have ever undertaken. I kept looking at the one plate set-up at the head of the table. It was a bittersweet revelation. Somehow, deep in my conscious I knew, I did not intend to be there for Christmas. The one plate setting made me realize