Christmas Season Processes

Despite retailers trying to get me in the "Christmas Spirit" before Halloween, I manage to fight it until I see Santa in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. For some reason, that seems to me to be a somewhat appropriate time for everybody to look forward to Christmas...even though you still have a Thanksgiving Day to go.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is when we gear up for the holidays at my house. Tracy shops, and I get gigantic blue tupperware down from the attic that contains our accumulated Christmas decorations over 16 years. We generally don't throw anything away except broken strings of light, so we've added a lot of gigantic blue tupperware over the years.

I then place the lights on the roof and the rest of the outside decor. This year we added a six-foot lighted tree to the mix outside...which the wind blew over once already. A minor setback that was quickly taken care of.

Now, there are several gigantic blue tupperware containers in my den, preparing to throw up all over my living room.

Yes, I dislike this part of the Christmas season: Scrooge "Bah Humbug" factor of 10. Very Grinch-like at the moment: "Oh the noise noise noise NOISE!"

It will dissipate over time. I simply have to get past the stories on the news of retail shopping victories, the fact that it's 65 degrees and I'm sweating while putting up lights, all the wondering why we don't get rid of half of "this junk," etc.

My Grinch-heart usually begins to stretch that little monitor beginning with my daughter in The Nutcracker (which is tonight)...and over a few weeks I'll be full-throttle, riding down the hill toward Who-ville on the sleigh, trumpet blaring with presents afoot.

But right now, I'm stealing presents and lying to Cindy Lou Who (who was not more than two) about lights on her tree while stuffing it up the chimney.

Oh the noise Noise Noise Noise!