When I first looked out the den window, I was deluded by the sun and the blue sky I could see so when I went out for the papers, I gasped at the cold. We had a frost last night. The high today will be 39°. In whose world is 39° a high?

Joyous day! Skip, my factotum, is here. He is shutting down the deck right now then he’ll do the outside lights. He looks so cold I keep telling him to come in to get warm, but he says if he did, he’d never go out again. The dogs are staying out with him. They find him entertaining.

I’ll bring more decorations upstairs today. The few I brought up on Sunday have me wanting more. There are so many tubs of decorations downstairs I haven’t used many of those decorations in years, mostly the ones way back against the wall. I never get that far. I hope to this week. I’ll expect to be surprised by what I’ve forgotten.

I remember sitting at the kitchen table stringing popcorn and cranberries. We ate the popcorn while we strung. My mother looped the strands around the tree, up high so the dog would eat the popcorn. Afterwards, she hang them outside for the birds. When I first bought my house, I had very little money. I did manage to buy a small tree, a very small tree. I made many of the decorations with apples and oranges. I even made my own wreath. I thought the tree looked amazing.

When I was a kid, our tree had bubble lights. I remember my brother and I would sit and watch those lights to see who could find the first one bubbling. I still have that set, but I am bit afraid to plug it in. The set has to be around 70 years old. Luckily, though, I have a new set of bubble lights, and I still sit and watch for the first bubbler.

Christmas delights my senses. The aroma of the pine tree fills the house. I love coming down stairs in the morning and smelling the tree as I get closer to the living room. The outside lights are so beautiful I sometimes drive by my house a few times on sort of a tiny light ride to ooh and aah. I love Christmas cookies and breads. My uncle used to make anise cookies, my all time favorite Christmas cookie. He used to bring a few to my mother’s house just for me. I didn’t share. I play Christmas carols in the car and in the house and sing along. I never object to Christmas carols after Thanksgiving. They have too short a season to wait.

I have a list. I need apples, oranges and cinnamon sticks. I have a holly tree with plenty of branches for cutting. I’m going to make a swag for my tree. Let the festivities begin!

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