“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ”
Today is finch day at the feeders. I saw several goldfinches sporting their drab winter colors and a few house finches with their red chests. A couple of doves were at the bird bath drinking. It had been cleaned earlier but has leaves again. Soon I’ll have to hunt down and plug in the heater for the bird bath. The birds love finding water in the winter.
I have nothing much to say today. I haven’t been out to see the world or spend time with people. Mind you, I’m not complaining as I have been reading and watching Christmas movies. The movies are on the schmaltzy Hallmark Channel so I know all will be well before the endings. That lonely business executive will realize she loves her hometown and her old boyfriend who still has a crush. Santa, the real one, will get his memory back in time to make his rounds. The orphans will find families, and the Scrooge-like characters will love Christmas again. Everyone will joyfully celebrate the season.
I went Christmas shopping yesterday in the catalogues and found several gifts I need to order. Some are for stockings, one of my favorite parts of Christmas. My mother was the best stocking stuffer, and we all, my sisters and I, inherited that gene. I only do stockings for my friends Clare and Tony now. I used to do them for my sisters but not anymore, and I really miss the fun of finding neat little things for their stockings. I had traditions. They always got a pair of earrings and my sister Moe got a Life Saver book. I used to find the worst Christmas movie I could for her. It was a contest we had every year. I think I won the last Christmas movie stocking battle when I found a movie made in Mexico about Santa, his wizard and the devil. I always prided myself on the odd and the strange. One year I gave my sister a killer clown puppet. We both loved the horrible Killer Klowns from Outer Space movie, and that puppet was perfectly alien and scary. I used to e-bay for stuff and enjoyed the hunt. I still do for Tony and Clare.
Well, the happy ending is close so back to my movie.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: bad Christmas movies, Bird bath, Christmas stockings, doves, finches, Hallmark Channel, house finches, Killer Klowns from Outer Space
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November 10, 2013 at 12:47 pm
It’s not even Thanksgiving yet and already the Christmas ads are on TV. Next year the Christmas ads should start after the Super Bowl to ensure that we all spend enough money on stuff we don’t want or need. What are you going to do in December, watch the movie Easter Parade? 🙂
If we didn’t have Christmas and Chanukah we would have to invent them for the health of the economy. 🙂 If you are in the retail business and you have a bad holiday season then there is nothing you can do all year long to make up for the loss. Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother or Father’s day, nothing can replace the Christmas holiday season for making money and saving the health of the economy. Probably today we it’s the health of the economy globally.
I have a coworker who hates the term Holiday Season. He thinks it should be the Christmas Season. He also hates the greeting, Happy Holidays. Of course he is a right wing Catholic looney tune who hates Muslims. There is not enough room on this blog to list all his other gripes.
November 10, 2013 at 2:01 pm
Bob,
I’m an all year shopper. My mother always told me to buy it now because when I went back, it would be gone. The guest room bed is filled with stuff already I’ve bought all year. I love to find just the right gift for people. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just right.
Christmas and Chanukah don’t just have to be about presents. There are so many fun things to do. We go for a ride to see the lights, decorate the tree, put up outside lights, bake cookies and decorate gingerbread houses and we see a different Christmas play every year. I love the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas. I have a great egg nog recipe and we toast the season.
There are so many Christmas movies, and I love watching them, usually on weekends. I think it is the most special of all seasons. I come from a family of lovers of Christmas.
I wish people Merry Christmas but that excludes Chanukah. I’m okay with holiday season as opposed to no greetings.
November 10, 2013 at 10:17 pm
I agree that the holidays don’t have to be all about presents, but let’s not forget that our economy depends upon our spending until it hurts. 🙂
You forgot about wishing people a happy Kwanza.
November 10, 2013 at 10:28 pm
Bob,
I did totally forget about Kwanza. I think most people don’t remember.
I guess I don’t help the economy all that much as I don’t do huge shopping but spread it out all year.
November 10, 2013 at 1:51 pm
I saw big parts of that movie with Santa, the devil and the wizard, it was delightfully bad 🙂 🙂 🙂
We never had stockings when I grew up, a friend of mine had but that family was always seen as a bit odd 🙂 I don’t think it’s that common now days either. We were always allowed to take a small package from beneath the tree early in the morning, the rest had to wait. Most people get their presents just before Donald Duck and most people eat the Christmas dinner after Donlad is over, Fun how Disney controlls our Christmas celebrations 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
November 10, 2013 at 2:12 pm
Christer,
Absolutely, delightfully bad is a perfect description.
Hanging our stockings was an important part of Christmas. In the morning they were always filled to the brim with small toys, books and candy. I’d put my hand in and pull out one thing at a time. When we were much older, my mother wrapped everything on our stockings, and that was great fun opening them.
We opened our presents in the morning except for the new pajamas. They were opened on Christmas Eve.
I am amazed about you all and Donald Duck.
Have a wonderful evening.
November 10, 2013 at 3:42 pm
I don’t want to think about Christmas yet, though we rehearse Christmas songs since September. Sometimes it’s strange to sing a powerful “White Christmas” or “Silent Night” when the temperatures are in the 80’s, but we have to be prepared for the concert season.
Our Christmas stocking is Saint Nicholas Day (Dec 6) stocking, shoes or socks traditionally filled with candies, nuts, mandarines and apples.
November 10, 2013 at 3:59 pm
Birgit,
I take a week or two to decorate a little each day, but I won’t do that until after Thanksgiving.
I think that having a separate day for stockings or shoes makes the holiday last a bit longer. My mother used to get an orange, among other stuff, in her stocking. They were expensive in winter when she was a kid. We never got fruit but we always got candy, usually a candy cane or a chocolate Santa.
I’ll start making my list of stuff to make. For my sister: date nut bread (my grandmother’s recipe) and fudge. For my friend: orange cookies which remind her of her mother’s orange cake. The rest of the stuff changes year to year.
November 10, 2013 at 4:37 pm
Hi Kat,
Our stockings were always standing up on the living room furniture as we didn’t have a mantle and there wasn’t much room anywhere else to hang them. That was not a bad thing though because we got big stockings with more stuff inside. No weight problem to worry about. 🙂
I have been out to see the world today. Rocky and I took a walk. It was warmer than yesterday by much. The sun peeked out for about 5 minutes and I did see some blue sky during that time. It’s all gone away again.
The mouse count is 4.
Enjoy the day.
November 10, 2013 at 5:04 pm
Hi Caryn,
Ours were hung on the banisters up the stairs when we were young. When we were adults, my mother would put our stocking stuff in things like Peterborough baskets, great gifts all by themselves.
Gracie and I went to the dump then I had to shop for tonight-I’m on appetizers. It was also warm here but a while ago we had a thunder and lightning storm. The thunder was so close it shook stuff in my kitchen.
I’m guessing you’ll be upping that count.
Have a wonderful evening!
November 11, 2013 at 5:40 am
Oh yes. Right after I posted, I went to the pantry and found another one. Count is now 5.
November 11, 2013 at 10:43 am
They’ll keep coming! It’s getting cold so they need to winter in the warmth. Last winter I got 46.