All is Merry and Bright | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Please join me in welcoming Author Michele Rhem, who presents us with her poignant memoirs of the Rabbit Patch, where her diaries weave tales of a simpler, expressive life lost to many, but gathered together in her most familiar environs - the Rabbit Patch.

    All is merry and bright at the rabbit patch. There is a Christmas tree by the farmhouse window -and at long last-full of shining lights. Today, I hope to wrap presents and add the ornaments I have collected from places like Miss Alethias' Christmas shop in Bath. Each year, for a long time, I buy five ornaments, representing my children. Today, the humble tree will proudly bear witness to that habit. I will hang the snowflakes and remember that Jenny loved them best, when she was five. The five little birds, are there because my grandmother loved birds- and on and on I will go, til the last ones are hung.

    The kitchen table will not have room for even a sandwich today. It will be littered with scissors, tape and ribbons, instead. I expect "Moon Shine", previously known as "the wild kitten", will be in the midst of the scrap paper. Rest assured, he will only see the tree through the old french door, if I can help it. Moon Shine is curious and playful and apt to reap havoc. I am sure that the red glass ornaments, Kyle picked out would erase all of our efforts to make him a civilized cat.

    I find that people either love to wrap gifts or detest it immensely-of course I love it. I take great pains to find just the right paper and ribbons. This year, I am only using red and white in various forms. Bags are a last resort, no matter how pretty they are. There is something magical about the minute it takes to unwrap a present. Whatever paper is left-and I buy accordingly- will be used to wrap Brants' presents as he has the habit of coming in Christmas Eve with a satchel of unwrapped presents, in a state of panic. I smile, because my Brant is home-and I just happen to have the kitchen table cleared .

    While, I am wrapping presents, I will have an old Christmas movie on. I strongly prefer the old black and white movies. The themes are so much more tender. Today, it will be "Little Women" and maybe "It Happened on 5th Avenue", if time allows. I will drink coffee out of a fancy piece of Christmas China. It is "Winter Greetings" by Lenox and so very expensive. I bought this piece on clearance and will look for another piece this year-in January. When there is a sufficient amount of presents wrapped, I will call Christian to place them under the tree. He is an artist in every sense and will place them in a pleasing order. It will be a lovely sight when all is said and done.

    Before the baking day and before the pine boughs are brought in, there is today- when the tree is decorated and stories are told- and when ribbons are tied on pretty boxes full of Christmas secrets. At the rabbit patch today, truly, all is merry and bright.