Pat and Bee's Life

At the speed of crazy!


Sunday, December 03, 2006

Christmas on the Prado

It's an hour or two before the sun sets, and mom, Beth, Nathan and I are inside the Spanish Art Village in Balboa Park. The tables being set up on the far side, near the Zoo parking lot are being filled with chili makings, cookies, banana nut and zuccini breads. The kids and mom walk among the shops, looking at some of the cute things, and some of the OMG How can anyone spend that much money on a Christmas Pin!!!???? stuff.

As the sun goes down, we buy chili, hot chocolate and cookies while the musicians set up and start singing the carols, and the shops set out there Christmas specialties. The glass blower starts doing demo's and shows how their art is made. The shops are packed at this point. You can barely get in and out. Face painting is going on, and little dances and games. And this is only the Spanish Art Village.

On these nights, Balboa Park comes alive with music, dancing, folk art, food and fun, it's Christmas on the Prado!

Those nights have passed. Soon after I left San Diego the tradition passed to what's now called December Nights. I haven't had a chance to go back, and in ways, it's heartbreaking.

The kids doing the nutcracker suite at the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet. The hot chocolate!! The Air & Space Museum, the cloggers outside the Reuben H. Fleet Center. The swedish food outside the Old Globe, the dancing, singing, cookies, the Museums! The museum of Man, Natural History, Model Railroads, and the Hall of Champions.

The House of Scotland Pipe Band, the Poinsettia display, the live Christmas Tree Display.....It's what Christmas is to me. It's what we've always done for Christmas. It's a part of the holiday!

The Nativity Scene at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, wandering with Nathan over the restraunt and hearing a door open and closing, and going up to find no one there (freakiest Christmas EVER!!!!!!!!!).

It's so close, and yet, it's just out of my grasp for Christmases here.

Maybe next year........

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home