I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. For me, the holiday season officially has kicked off. For years, decades, we’ve noted and groused that the holidays, meaning the commercial aspects of the holidays, begin earlier and earlier. However, as I’ve become accustomed to hearing the first seasonal music during the run-up to Halloween, it doesn’t bother me as it once did. It doesn’t bother me, because I ignore it. If stores want to stock Christmas decorations beginning in early October, what do I care? This season is special to me, and while I once allowed tawdry excess to diminish it, I have reclaimed it. It was easy. For me, the season begins when the spirit moves me. That’s about right now.
23 responses to “And early though the laurel flows…”
Except for the grocery store, I really go into stores anymore. So it really doesn’t bother me if Christmas decorations are up or not. My Thanksgiving was low-key as I am on the mend. However I did eat a small ham and cheese sandwich last night so may be able to eat more today
My step-sister started up a medical company several years ago that helps paralyzed people walk. That might be a little simplistic, but that is the eventual goal. She does good work. On Tuesday she led her team to ring the bell at NASDAQ. I joked with my step-mother that if you told her that her daughter would be on a billboard in Times Square she might have been ashamed. However to have her ring the bell is a very very proud moment!
Steve, glad to she is doing good for humanity. Other than the occasional painted lady Times Square is a family tourist destination.
For us the holiday season begins with the Macys parade and ends with the Rose parade. I read that Black Friday is a shadow of its former glory. The ease of shopping from home in your jammies must be a winning combo.
Back when my my step-sister was a little girl it WAS the old Times Square. It has cleaned up nicely.
Sand you make a good point about doing good for others. A few companies that have rung the bell have not been so good to society. She was a few years younger than me but we were good friends for a year or two in High School. She was too young for me to date, but I always admired her as she was very smart.
Jackie, some of your FB friends are asking about you. I copied your post from here about Thanksgiving dinner and pasted it in answer to them. I also told them to come visit here since you are posting more often here than FB at this time.
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2017/11/12_days_of_alabama_christmas.html#incart_river_home
Good for you Jimmy J. I agree ……just ignore it until it’s TIME!
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
– Groucho Marx
Words to live by
The Christmas season for me starts off tonight with a small town’s Lighting the Pond event at 6 p.m. Once the various choirs have sung and local dignitaries finish orating, the crowd is invited into the Civic Center where my orchestra performs.
This year we’re doing “Come, Let Us Worship the King” with the high school chorus. Thanks to a traffic snafu (trapped on I-15 for over an hour!) I missed the first half of our last rehearsal and haven’t seen them in person.
Thank you, Jimmy! I did not know the Houseman poem your headline refers to. How poignant.
Our local Lowe’s actually waited until November 1st to haul out the xmas decor – thankful for small favors… 🙂
I concur, you can decide to be a sourpuss and only make yourself upset. Let people who are really into it have it. I could get sick of seeing Valentine stuff too long, grocers are way too full of Memorial Day, July 4, outdoor stuff too long and I would rather listen to some holiday music instead of godawful who knows what blaring in the store. And about that, that’s why I love Target – no irritating in store “music”. BUT I was so disappointed, a brand new, latest, up to date Target opened west of Houston and they have garbage music playing
Currently, I’m at a convention with a long-term contract with the hotel. It took us several years, but it’s now in the contract that the hotel can’t put up any Christmas decorations until Sunday evening, when the convention ends.
Today, I broke a long-time tradition of not going near a retail establishment on Black Friday. (My normal procedure is to stay at home and assume a fetal position under the bed while trying to banish mental pictures of female shopping ninjas rampaging through malls, stores and shops.) But it was for a good cause. Our part-time housekeeper got us the Angel Tree names of four of the women residents of the local care facility. Jackie used her own ninja shopping skills to find some of the items they had requested. She didn’t feel all that well, but she knew today would be the day to find lots of the items on their wish lists. We will find the others before the December 15th deadline.
The good news is that I survived. And had a nice breakfast at a restaurant where the female severs wear skin-tight jeans with their cell phones stuffed in a rear pocket. If butts could talk…I imagine their cell phones bills would be horrendous.
My first retail job at Christmas was with Seats in about 63 or 64. I am vague historisn. They played a looping sound track over and over and over, a short loop.
By 69 in Hawaii Christmas carols were still short !oops but played everywhere. It was the Vietnam war period and everyone was on leave and meeting family for R and R.
Don’t think we played music in my shop but may have quietly. We dragged out very and would not do Christmas until after Labor Day.
Became a show designer to teach florists how to design and market productd. Christmas began in June and went on weekly until Thanksgiving.
Became a designer and sales rep for Chinese import wholesale and Christmas began before Thanksgiving for the NEXT following year. Imagine trying to explain that.
It’s a wonder I stancChristmas, much less enjpy.
We’ve recovered (mostly) from yesterday’s dinner and clean-up, so I have time to play with pictures again. For those of you who don’t indulge in Book of Faces, here’s a version of something I posted – https://flic.kr/s/aHsmafh5p8
Now I guess I should get ready to have “another Thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat”, but without a toddler this time.
Sears.
Interesting looking place; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zafOJTZEm-Q
It’s been mostly cool and windy since late Oct; ground has had a less than 2″ snow cover twice, but it has melted off twice, was 43F in Bemidji this morning and not supposed to go higher, but may have. St. Cloud, city mentioned in weather article below, is in 3 counties, mostly Stearns, said to be the most RC co. in USA. Mostly German, and home of MN’s largest state U., larger than alma mater, Cornell U. St. Ben’s [women] and St. John’s [men] are 2 RC schools not far W. St. John’s is where MPR started more than 50 yr. ago.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/11/24/twin-cities-record-high?utm_campaign=MPR+News+-+PM+Edition+-+No+Social&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sfmc_&utm_content=
Peace,
Merry Christmas, Jimmy.
The turkey photos are interesting, Ruth Anne. Well done and dramatic. Colorful feathers look good. I bet those wild turkeys are plenty tough!
Our Thanksgiving Day was a treat. Nancy gave me a ride to Goffstown, where Marge and Dana were hosting the dinner. His adopted sister, who’s single, came too. Let’s see, Steve and Barb couldn’t get away from Lake Cayuga, Bill and Sue went from Vermont to NYC, Brooklyn actually, to spend the day with their two sons (unmarried) and Alice and Rick have gone to New Jersey to be with his family. Oh, and Pat and Dean and their two sons always have Thanksgiving dinner with his sisters who live in Lexington, Mass.
Pat and her family came to NH on Friday, however, and we had a lovely visit, then all squeezed into my minivan and drove to Goffstown to see Marge and Dana’s family. More stories and catching up, the yummy leftovers made a return appearance and were enjoyed by all. My little great-grandson Max was the darling of all — just learning to walk and perfectly adorable.
Now I’m at home alone, again, relaxing after a busy two days. It was so nice!
Forgot to give credit to Bob for the turkey photos. Crazy birds refused to move, but that did make it possible to get good close-ups!
Accuweather.com is no more accurate than Whether.com in reporting how cloudy things are. 🙁
I just stuck my head outside and discovered that while the site claims we have 0% cloud cover and therefore excellent viewing, the opposite was true.
Saturday’s offering is a classic.