Admittedly, Christmas is not my favorite holiday. So having “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” lyric/melody stuck on endless repeat in my head is slightly frustrating. It’s a subconscious reaction to the Downtown Repalone Holiday Party and all the planning and preparation that go into this biennial event. Because no matter how much I like to turn my nose up at all things Christmas, the truth is, I LOVE the DTR Holiday Party. People travel thousands of miles to attend, bringing laughter, stories and excitement. They pour in the door - casseroles, desserts and holiday dishes in hand. New friends are made, toasts are raised and memories sifted through. The whole resort trembles with happiness and good cheer.
Now that it’s post Labor Day, party preparations are shifting into high gear. As the song bleats around my synapses, I crop a few photos from last night’s party decorating adventure. Crowding my memory are vignettes of Christmas paper and ribbons spilling out of the Events & Information Office and onto the dinning table; me, using a tape dispenser from 1954 to cover various pieces of wall art with festive wrapping; and John, briskly moving in and out of rooms, carrying knickknacks to their pre-designated holiday storage vaults. If you happen to open the wrong cupboard in the kitchen, beware, Tomorrowland figurines may surprise you.
Taking a break in the bar, Tony pours drinks while Suzanne, Chris, John and I reminisce about previous Holiday Parties. We try to explain to Tony that he really has no idea how the Resort will transform week-to-week. Oh that I were like Tony, naïve again, watching with ‘wonda’ as the bar takes on its holiday shine. For now I’ll have to get along with the song in my head and a warm fuzzy feeling for things to come. It is indeed, the most wonderful time of the year.