Christmas Time!

If you have not have the pleasure of visiting a retail establishment, and having then been assaulted by Christmas music, then you should be informed that the Christmas time of year has returned.  I know that things are different nowadays from when I was a kid.  While I am picking up my Halloween candy, I could also select my Christmas candy canes and get a jump start on the Christmas holiday shopping.  I am sure you can hear the edge in my voice, I confess, it drives me crazy.  I would like an official law passed that no Christmas item can hit the shelves until December first out of respect for Thanksgiving. Ah but I digress, this is in fact a positive blog post.  You have to keep that negativity under control or it slips out when you least expect it.

I am curious to know what item, food, or decoration just announces Christmas in your life?  It may be hard for you to pick just one thing because it is hard for me.  My grandmother always kept Christmas cactus' and they were huge and glorious.  I have one in my office that is hot pink and it has 30 or so blooms on it.  It is beautiful.  It reminds me of Grammie Audet's house.  My other grandmother always displayed a ceramic Christmas tree with little colorful lights on it and this revved up the Christmas spirit for me.  I have always wanted to have one of those for my office but have yet to obtain one.

The one thing for me though, is the Christmas Angel Tree Topper that my parents purchased when I was a kid to decorate their tree.  It was magical for me as a child, and it stirs those feelings in me now when I see it.  It is next to me in the chair in this photo.  I have given her a makeover.  After twenty years her gold wire wings and dress had seen better days.  I am forty now and terrified to leave the Christmas tree on if she lit up because I don't trust her wiring.  Does it seem silly to you that I am considering having her re-wired? 

As you get older, it may begin to seem like a lot of work to unpack all the Christmas decorations and put them all up, only to later take them all down and put them away.  It was beginning to feel that way for me.  Then the other day, I overheard my husband and son putting up or little 3 foot Christmas tree and lights.  My son was extremely impressed and excited.  He is fascinated by the lights and the ornaments.  I then insisted we find our LL Bean embroidered stockings and hang those.  They say Mom, Dad and Tan.  He is 2 1/2 and he looked them over, read the names (with help), and then hooked them up with Huy.  He reached his arm down into the bottom of a couple of them to see if there was anything in them but found nothing.  He loves it and he doesn't even realize what is coming his way.

I hope that while I am helping him understand the true meaning of Christmas that he will also find some special foods and items that stir those holiday feelings for him.  We started last year making the sugar cookies painted with colored icing.  He liked it.  He did paint his tongue quit a bit, though.  When Auntie Tracey comes next week we will put up the tree and hang some ornaments.  I am really looking forward to this year with my little boy.  It reminds me of how important special memories are which is why I look forward to making some.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!! 

Susan