Read an advertisement from a local drugstore, saying something about there still *being time* to do something or another before Christmas. Can't believe we're already being encouraged to hurry. I don't wanna! I really, and I mean really want this next month to be sweet and not overdone. My husband reminds me that I say that every year, only to do the same old thing repeatedly.
It gets to where I dread Christmas. Partly it's the attitude that's so prevalent to be busy and spend lots. It's not really a quiet and cozy holiday anymore. Folks are fussy and this time of year lacks that Dickensian sort of flavor. Hard to get a mindset of simplicity and peace. And I'm not sure how to actually do that. The reality of eight kids smacks me in the face, and it's a tad overwhelming. And I'm not talking about greed, either. It's just the volume of stuff that needs doing...or maybe all of it doesn't need doing, eh?
I'm reminded of last Christmas, when my oldest friend, Dana, passed away---and that was on the seventh of December. I wasn't in a mood to decorate or hang lights out on the porch, but the kids got around to it, and that in itself was very special.
Just simple things. Little expense and sweetness. That sounds awfully good about now.
