Christmas at Home with Music and Family, 2005

Christmas back in 2005 was a pretty standard affair, spent indoors with family. Things started off silly, with some of us deciding to wear our hand-knitted Christmas stockings on our arms for some reason. It was one of those small, ridiculous moments that happen during the holidays.

The gift exchange followed. Looking at these photos, I can see some of the haul: new sets of drinking glasses, a cozy-looking knitted hat with braided ties, a practical black and gray pullover. Nothing extravagant, just a typical exchange of presents among family members.

Later in the evening, the atmosphere shifted. My sister sat down at the piano, and my brother-in-law joined her with his French horn. It's not every day you get a private concert in the living room. They played through some Christmas sheet music while the rest of us just listened.

It was a nice way to wind down the day, moving from the clatter of opening presents to the focused calm of making music together. It was just a quiet, pleasant holiday at home.