It seems this time of year holiday traditions are somehow more romantic. The Christmas traditions I shared with Ken are still very important to me. We really delighted in the season. Ken had a childlike giddiness that was infectious. It was impossible to be a Grinch at Christmastime with him around. For me, Christmas continues to be magical. It’s my first Christmas in my new place, and I’m looking forward to bringing some old traditions here and making new ones, as well.

First on the list is to decide where to put the pink Christmas tree.

The Christmas cards I’ve sent since 2011 have been store-bought, but during the prior decade, Ken and I designed and executed construction of our cards–from concept to creation. (See photo gallery below.) Brainstorming usually began sometime in the midst of summer over cocktails on our patio or in our back yard where it morphed and changed from one thing to another before being finalized sometime in November. Actual construction would begin on the weekend of Thanksgiving. Someday, I’ll have the spark to create my own cards again. Someday.

2001 – “Honey of a Christmas.” Ken made the paper himself.

2001 – “Honey of a Christmas.”

2002 – “Stump Reindeer.”

2002 – “Stump Reindeer.” Ken’s humor about his residual limb or “stump” was always irreverent.

2003 – “Christmas Dearest”

2003 – “Christmas Dearest.” Ken made all the little hangers for our cards that year.

2004 – “I’ll Give You Something to Cry About Christmas.”

2004 – “I’ll Give You Something to Cry About Christmas.” And took pliers to each and every bell and smooshed it.

2005 – “As Seen on TV Christmas.” The cover photo was taken the prior Christmas Eve on the beach in Malibu where our family traditionally cooks and eats breakfast.

2006 – “My Big Fat Geek Christmas” We had a website set up to accompany this week.

2006 – “My Big Fat Geek Christmas “. There was some kind of game involved here.

2007 – “An Inconvenient Christmas.” Green theme al a “An Inconvenient Truth” the DVD was incredible, along with a website of green tips. See YouTube video of outtakes below.

I have so many memories of Christmas with Ken. Some mundane. Some supreme. But one of my favorites is below. It’s from our 2007 card (which was a DVD) and shows “outtakes” from our video shoot. We’d originally planned a talk show format, but couldn’t work it out. This was funnier.

I’m grateful to be in a place where watching this brings me the joy of the season, and the joy of being with Ken.