It's the most wonderful...

I can’t believe we are only one month away from Christmas… I have this feeling many people aren’t ready or wanting to get ready for it. I understand my American readers who don’t want to read/hear about Christmas before Thanksgiving, it make sense (for them, since we already celebrated ours in October), but for the rest of the world, and even for them come to think of it, Christmas is still one month away.

Younger I would care about the fact that my birthday had to happen before Christmas, nowadays, not so much. The date hasn’t changed, but my outlook on it has. I don’t care so much about aging as I used to. Oh, I care about the fact that I’m aging, but I’m no longer excited about it. I’ve gotten over that. I don’t mind aging, really. A friend sent me this nice text “The Right to Be Old”; it is so very true.

As a kid I would get upset when cheap relatives would serve me the “it’s a month before Christmas” or “You’ll get something bigger at Christmas” excuse. My grand-mother on my mother’s side was the best for that, until one famous Christmas when I asked, in front of everyone, which was my birthday gift, since all the kids had received the same pyjamas. I got a good whack from my mom, but after that day I always got a little something on my birthday. I was old enough to have known better than to ask, but also young enough to be hurt by the fact she was treating me differently than my cousins. I was her only grand child with a birthday that wasn’t during summer time.

Anyway, not to piss anybody off but my Christmas shopping is all done. I only need to wrap now. Even the goods I ship to friends are ready to go. I’m early this year for some reason. I also prepared all envelopes for our Christmas cards. We’re sending 107 cards this years; it is crazy! Actually there’s no “it” in this, but me, so that makes me the Christmas freak. So be it, I can assume that role as well. I actually worked on my Santa Paws gift; it turned out “cute”… I guess… its receiver will tell me. It was fun and relaxing even if I got frustrated at times, ‘cause let’s be real here, I’m no artist, far from it actually.

Saturday I really felt Christmassy, maybe it was because the Big guy was arriving in town. I remember watching the Parade on TV, but I don’t think I ever been to one. Growing up we always lived in town, and yet… I guess my mom didn’t like crowds or she didn’t take time away from the store to bring me. Strange as she always did for the annual Santa picture. I'll have to ask her.

How can you resist such a nice Santa, really? It is the most wonderful time of the year. I tell you! I feel sorry for those of you who bitches about how bad it is to live in a consumer society and mutter, “Bah, humbug” at the first sign of tinsel and carols, come on people, it is a time to rejoice, share, and give. One doesn’t have to be rich for that, one simply has to love and be happy.

Hubby doesn’t share my excitement at all. He hates it; too bad for him. I must say I have a great husband. Every year he does help me to assemble the tree and put in the lights, the rest is up to me. Since we’ve moved here he’s had to drag all our stuff (a car load full) from storage to the condo, let me do my thing and then bring everything back to storage. He does it with much muttering and bitching, but he does it. I love him for it.
___

Picture: Santa from Destination Centre-Ville