Hello, friends. How is everyone doing? With the change of the month, December officially arrived, and I must confess that I absolutely love this time of year. The excitement of the Christmas atmosphere is incomparable. Just recently, I finished setting up and decorating my Christmas tree. This year the experience was a little different, but equally special. On this occasion, I put it up with the help of my sister-in-law, who was my great support, as I have been quite busy this week with the preparations for a very important family event.
And, of course, in every family gathering, and especially when it comes to Christmas and its preparations, coffee always becomes our best ally. It not only keeps us company and active while we work, but it is also the perfect host to offer our visitors, providing that warm and cozy atmosphere so characteristic of the season.
This is the first time that someone, other than my children, has helped me assemble the little tree. It happened because my sister-in-law was home just at the moment when I needed to decorate the cake to celebrate my son's birthday. I was extremely busy and running out of time, so she, with great generosity, offered to help me with the Christmas decorations. Furthermore, she was excited, as she had never decorated a full Christmas tree before. This was wonderful, because while I was guiding her with the instructions for the lights and garlands, I could concentrate on the details of the cake. This way, both tasks were ready just in time to receive the guests for the celebration. It was a perfect coordination and teamwork effort.
The day had started with a small setback. Unfortunately, the oven in my kitchen unexpectedly broke down. This forced me to bake the cake at my sister-in-law's house, which fortunately is very close by. However, working with her oven was a complicated experience; I couldn't figure out its operation and calibration, which took me much longer than usual. Finally, with the cake baked and ready in my own house, on my countertop, in my comfort zone—which is, without a doubt, the kitchen—I had to get down to business and start with the creative part: decorating the cake. To keep ourselves energetic and in good spirits during the marathon afternoon, we brewed a full pot of delicious coffee, enough for both of us throughout our respective tasks.
My sister-in-law has an interesting peculiarity: she enjoys her coffee when it is already cold, almost at room temperature, which I find curious. On the contrary, I like mine very hot, almost boiling, so I can savor the aroma while it cools slowly. This time, I used a very tasty national brand of coffee called Arauca. I love its robust flavor and unmistakable aroma. Sharing it with family makes any activity, even those that could be a little tedious, turn into a moment of enjoyment and connection. The steaming cups of Arauca were the engine that fueled our afternoon of crafts.
Between the twinkling lights, the shiny garlands, and the colored spheres, we were able to finish the complete decoration of the Christmas tree, and at the same time, the cake was perfectly adorned. Just as the guests arrived to celebrate, everything was impeccable and ready. The friends were able to take wonderful photos next to the recently decorated tree, creating memorable snapshots of the evening. They also enjoyed a rich slice of cake while mingling as friends at my son's birthday. The combination of celebration and Christmas atmosphere was perfect.
My son's group of friends is small, no more than ten people, which facilitates the organization and intimate atmosphere. For the most part, they are high school classmates, who have been working on their school projects together for some time. They are also teammates on the volleyball team, which keeps them united and with common interests. These are boys who keep themselves very busy with important and positive activities, such as sports and studies—something that gives me great peace of mind as a mother.
At the end of the celebration, close to eleven at night, my husband took on the task of driving each of them home. The fact that all the boys safely reached their destinations provided great peace of mind to their parents, who kept in touch with me throughout the night, and of course, to me as the host of the party. When it was all done, with every boy safely in his home, I took the time to enjoy my last cup of coffee of the night. I sat for a moment to contemplate how the decoration of my Christmas tree had turned out this year. Although I didn't decorate it alone, the result was magnificent. It was a very productive day, full of blessings, celebrated in the company of nice people and, of course, a rich coffee that served as a silent witness to the entire day.