Christmas with the Kellys

Joyful Obsession!
Christmas at the Kelly house — 2007

Photos by Ronald Kelly

Well, Christmas time has come and gone. And, as always, the Kelly clan was knee-deep in the holiday spirit. I must admit, we get a little Christmas crazy around this time of year, decorating pert near every inch of the Kelly home, while listening to enough Nat King Cole and Mannheim Steamroller to make your ears bleed!

This year was no exception. We put up the colossal snow village and decorated Joyce's snowman kitchen. Then came the decorating of the TREES! Eight of them in all (I told you we were nuts about the holidays!) It is during this process that the wife and kids sit silently—almost nervously—on the couch, afraid to twitch a muscle as this mild-mannered horror writer becomes an anal-retentive fiend... meticulously placing each ornament in its proper place. Any deviation in the grande scheme of things could very well throw the earth off its axis and Ron straight into the mouth of madness! In the twinkling glow of the tree lights, I strangely resemble a middle-aged Ralphie from A Christmas Story... during the scene where he beats the living snot out of Scut Farkus. As I rearrange each ornament two or three times, I chuckle to myself almost maniacally. "Daddy's starting to scare me!" whispers Reilly. "Who said that?!!" I snap, spittle flying from my lips. Little Chigger puckers up, but dares not cry.

Finally, the task is done and the Kelly family settle in for an enjoyable holiday season... joyfully happy... until all this stuff has to be taken down and packed up once again. Groan!!

Come, let me show ya'll around the place...