A Lot Like Christmas

It is feeling a lot like Christmas, but I have to tell you that palm trees and flowers in bloom against blue skies with fluffy white clouds always manage to foul me up. Somehow those things just aren't associated in my mind with Christmas. However, we are still managing to follow many of the traditions we established over the years.

It all began with the day after Thanksgiving decoration bonanza. Diana and I decided in our first year of marriage that we would always decorate on the Friday after. Our reasoning was that when children came along, went off to college and returned home for Thanksgiving they could join in on the festivities. Now that that time is just around the corner you’ve got to wonder if they’ll really find their way home or instead end up on a beach in California or a ski resort in Utah. So much for long range planning.

We actually started out our traditional day of decoration in a very non-traditional way. We drove over to Home Depot and purchased a real tree. Our first one since the winter of ‘88. Gracing it is a beautiful new talavera ornament. Of course the stockings were hung by the entertainment center with care, and afterwards we took the girls out for ice-skating. (How’s that for a white Christmas celebration?)

Having people in our home is part of the Holidays too. We’ll have a Christmas party on the 17th for our small group and then entertain family from the US. We have a huge pile of “gozo” rocks to give to those who come though the doors. And what’s having guests without a bit of Christmas music playing which is more often than not supplied by Mannheim Steamroller.

Of course there is the meaningful side of the Christmas holidays for us as well which includes the daily advent reading and filling up our Jessie Tree with reminders. Then there are gift boxes for orphans and Saturday evening carols. It all adds up to feeling a lot like Christmas despite the palm trees and sunny skies.

[Editors Note: With the World Cup draw today placing the US in a group with England, Algeria and Slovenia, a first round win over England would be a very nice belated Christmas present!]