So It Goes: It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

I can’t say if it was when I looked up to the star, noticed the reindeer creating his own path through the crowd or watching Santa painstakingly listen to every child upon his knee that created the first spark.

I do know however, that if I wasn’t looking at the festivities on offer that night, there was something about the crowd that made me feel Christmasy.  It also made me feel proud to live in the Redlands.

You couldn’t help but notice the crowd.  There were a lot of people there that night, all getting their internal Christmas light lit.  And it wasn’t just the sheer numbers that drew you in.  There were those little cuties in Christmas outfits and plenty of red and green to go around.  The crowd looked up as an explosion of white confetti erupted from the tree, snowing Redland style.

And then it was onto the markets, just wandering and wondering as I wandered just what the heck I was going to buy everybody.  You see, they’ve all been on my nice list and the nice list has lots of names but not too many Christmas ideas beside those names.

I came home that night and finished putting up the tree.  I had started to put it up a few days earlier and those people who know that I always pack it away decorated from the year before would be delighted that I did add some decorative touches this year.  The unfortunate thing is that some of the decorations are breakable and these had to be unwrapped from their boxes.  But even so, having the decorations already on the tree is quite the help every year and at least builds conformity.

We weren’t home last Christmas so it’s been a few years.  This time last year, we were visiting our daughter who lives in Berlin and enjoyed a wintery Christmas (It’s about two degrees where she is right now), filled with German Christmas markets and German Christmas traditions.  Did you know that they fill the shoes of their children with sweets?

I’ve been popping a shoe outside my door in the hope of a visit from a German elf, but so far, nothing.

Anyway, whatever lights your personal Christmas spirit, I hope it’s merry.