Christmas is my all time favorite time of the year. I JUST LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love all the decorations, music, scents, flavors, food, treats....just everything about it! Christmas has the magical quality that no matter what your age, it still has a hold of you.
First....Santa.....
It doesn't matter that I am way past the age where Santa actually makes a personal visit just for me. Oh he may still stop at my house but it is only to visit the grandchildren and leave them those special treats and to stuff their stockings and pile their presents under the tree. But I have to admit, there is still that little spark inside of me that still sort of kind of expects there to be something that magically appears just for me (that I didn't already know about LOL!) under the tree....yup....I really do. It hasn't happened yet, but that little spark, that glowing ember of hope, is still there.
Santa is probably my most favorite object to decorate with during this glorious season. He is EVERYWHERE in my house. I couldn't even begin to count how many Santas there are.....let's just say that it's a LOT!!
Next....Nutcrackers.....
I have loved Nutcrackers ever since a little girl when my parents took me that very first time to see the Nutcracker Ballet. I've collected them for several years and though the collection may move around from year to year in placement, it just wouldn't be Christmas without the WHOLE collection displayed somewhere! This year they have the place on honor on the fireplace mantel.
Then there are the .....Snowmen.....
I have not always loved Snowmen. It wasn't because they were cute and adorable, but hey, I had my Santas......I didn't want to tick off Santa. I mean, Frosty never left anyone something special in their stocking...unless of course it was a wet cold mess LOL! But I've come to love Snowmen. Not necessarily the real kind....too cold....but the decorating kind..oh yeah! I've starting amassing a pretty respectable collection, and I'm sure it will grow....
And then there are the Lights
I LOVE CHRISTMAS LIGHTSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially the multi-colored ones! I don't hate the white ones, but my heart belongs to the colored ones! One of my favorite childhood memories is driving around during the Christmas season and just looking at all the Christmas light displays........in fact I still love it!
One of our long time traditions, that unfortunately is no longer celebrated, is cutting our own Christmas tree.
Every year we would load up with the Robertson side of our family and drive up to this fantastic tree farm. We don't live in the right part of the country to be able to actually just go out in the woods and cut down a Christmas tree. Probably'd get shot! But there was this great family owned farm that only charged $18 for ANY tree - no matter what the size! It was GREAT! And mmmmmmm the smell of a real tree is just indescribable! Love it! Alas, a couple of years ago we were no longer able to do that. The family owned tree farm closed for business and no other tree farm (in reasonable driving distance) could compare....so....we bit the bullet and purchased a 7 1/2 foot artificial tree. It looks pretty real and 'cause the bottom limbs hang very close to the floor (just like a real one) we set it up on a one foot platform and when the angel sits on top it nearly touches our 9 foot ceilings!
Christmas music - now that starts on Thanksgiving Day. Not too loud and not too intrusive. After all Thanksgiving deserves its own respect and honor....but the music is there playing softly in the background all day and then from that day until the 26th of December, Christmas music plays everywhere in our home - the family room, the kitchen, the car, work.....it is everywhere and we just love it!
Scented candles add their special aroma along with the breads and candies and cookies baking in the oven. Our taste buds explode along with our waistlines with the plethora of goodies coming in and going out....
Now before anyone should get this wrong impression that I don't know why we celebrate Christmas, let me assure you that Christ has His number one place where He rightfully belongs. There are several Nativities throughout the house with the most important ones being the kind that children can touch and play with. Another one of my childhood memories of Christmas is laying on the floor under the Christmas tree playing with our Nativity scene. It was some sort of ceramic that didn't break too easily but you still had to be careful with it, and I would play and rearrange those pieces for hours......all by just the twinkling of the lights from the tree. It was magical.....
That's what Christmas is to me. Christ my Savior, celebrating His birth, but sprinkled generously with the magic of Santa and his gift laden sleigh pulled by those flying reindeer, Snowmen that have faces and big smiles, Nutcrackers that really don't crack nuts, lights that twinkle non-stop from dawn to way past dusk, the air permeated with cinnamon and peppermint and chocolate and sugar and butter, and evergreens, all to the soundtrack of the vast variety of tunes that bring all the right images to mind.
Yup, I love Christmas! Truly I do............
No comments:
Post a Comment