It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: Bing Crosby
Posted December 5, 2025 by katryCategories: Video
”I love Christmas, not just because of the presents but because of all the decorations and lights and the warmth of the season.”
Posted December 5, 2025 by katryCategories: Musings
Winter is here, a colder winter, a colder December, than usual. The high today will be 28°. It is inside hoodie weather. I’m going to watch the world from through my windows. I have no reason to leave the warm, cozy house. The dogs too like the warmth of the house. I swear Henry runs into the house with his leg still in the air.
It is time for an update on the mice. I trapped over twenty from under the bed. The latest were tiny, babies I think. Last night was the fourth night of empty traps. Either I have them all or they have moved on with packed bags and a few cat treats for the trip.
I need a little Christmas. I haven’t even hung the outside lights to replace the ones the spawn chewed. I’m waiting for a warmer day. I think today I may bring up a few Christmas storage boxes from the cellar. I’ll do that for a couple of days. Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.
My town where I grew up was always festive at Christmas. Lights outlined the fire station, and Santa was on a ladder to go down the chimney. The town hall too was covered in lights. Garlands hung across Main Street. Bells in the center of the garlands swayed in the breeze. A stage was set up in front of the Children’s Corner, one of the up town stores. Each night carolers, from different schools, stood on the stage and sang for the shoppers. I remember being so proud standing there and singing. I was in the fifth grade. We sang from the John Hancock carol book. I still have mine. It is certainly worse for the wear.
I have a list of goodies I’ll make this year. I just need a few more ingredients, like oranges and lemons and sour cream. I’ll make my toffee, probably the most popular treat I make every year. I’ll make orange cookies. There were my mother’s favorites. She used to save some cookies just for herself. My mother used to make peanut butter balls, my favorites. She’d hide some in the freezer then bring them out long after Christmas as a surprise. My sister still makes them and generously sends me a tin full. I don’t put any in the freezer. They don’t last long.
“Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!”
Posted December 4, 2025 by katryCategories: Musings
Tags: Christmas, Holiday, holidays, Santa, Santa Claus
Last night it was down right cold at 29°. I think it was as cold as it has been, but tonight will totally top that though top doesn’t really fit. Maybe bottom out is better. It will get down to 17°. The dogs will be in and out and back again in a flash. Their fur always feels cold. Nala even gets under the quilt when we go to bed. She keeps me warm.
When I was a kid, I never questioned the existence of Santa Claus. He just was. I had the common questions, but my mother had all the answers. How did he get around the world in one night? Her answer had to do time around the world, and it made sense to a young me. Today was yesterday in some places. I never doubted flying reindeer. After all, there were flying squirrels so why not reindeer. I knew Santa was chubby and plump from all those cookies he ate, even if he only took a bite to be polite. I expected I was always on the good list, but I did wonder who squealed on the naughty list kids. It never occurred to me to wonder why Santa gave us presents. In our house, Santa presents were never wrapped, and that made sense too. I figured making toys for all the kids around the world took so much time there wasn’t any time left for wrapping. I remember walking down the stairs and looking over the railing and seeing all those toys around the tree. It was breathtaking.
The best Santa was at Jordan Marsh in Boston. We went just about every year. We used to say we were going in town, and everyone knew we meant Boston. If we had said up town, we would have meant the square. Back then the square was filled with stores but none had a Santa. At Jordan’s there was always a line. It slowly snaked around the Enchanted Village. I remember all the scenes with mechanical people dressed in Victorian era clothes. They were moving, working, in village stores, and in houses families were decorating the tree. It was, as the name, described, enchanting. This was in the 50’s. Later the village was closed, but it reappeared every now and then. One Christmas my sister and her family came from Colorado. We all, including my mother, went to Boston to see the Enchanted Village. It was in City Hall Plaza. Without question, it was old fashion, and the movements were simple, repetitive, just back and forth, but that didn’t matter. It was as I remembered it. It was still enchanting.
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