~Right. This picture has nothing whatsoever to do with the countdown to Christmas. But it does show a little joy. My son-in-law loves dogs and they love him as you can see. The puppies thought it was very neat having a human playmate and Oscar looks like he’s wondering how to get in on the fun. All the puppies have been adopted now except for L.T., the little brown and white one that I’m keeping. I need another dog like I need a hole in the head, but she is very cute and the grandkids love her. Not to mention the son-in-law. Reasons enough.
~And so on to the dreaded question this time of the year. “Are you ready for Christmas?” I think the people who ask that are usually the ones who are and they just want to gloat. My sister told somebody the other day that she hadn’t done any shopping and she thought the other lady was going to faint away. But it just turned December – well, almost ten days ago now. And that means it’s only fifteen days to Christmas and actually we’re celebrating here with the kids and grandkids on the nineteenth so that means it’s only nine days. Oh, dear, I think I’m going to have trouble breathing. 😉 Maybe I’d better not think about how many days before I blow some circuits and start whirling in place.
~As you can probably tell, I’m not ready for Christmas. I’m never ready for Christmas. It just gets here. And every year I say I’m going to do better the next year. I’m going to shop early and wrap every present as soon as I bring it in the door. Sounds like an excellent plan, but you know what happens when I shop early? I’ll tell you. I hide the presents. Then two years later when the kid I bought that present for is now way too old for that toy or whatever I come across it and say, “Oh yeah, I remember buying this.” I lost some plush baby toy hammers I bought the twins last year. They were so cute, but I forgot all about them. Found them about July this year. But they’re for babies, not toddlers. So the new little one may have to get two hammers. One for each hand.
~That’s only one of my problems with shopping early. Another is getting stuff that later I wonder why in the world I thought anybody would like that. It must have been on sale really cheap. Of course it’s months too late to try to get a refund and so it goes into my sack of maybe someday gifts. So far someday has never come. I have a feeling it never will for some of those gifts.
~But it’s not only gifts I have to get ready. It’s food too. Cookies and snacks and sausage balls and every good thing anybody can think up to eat. I think I have to fix it all. And of course the house needs to be cleaned. Don’t houses always need to be cleaned? And there are people to visit and cards to write. Alas, there’s another of my problems. I think I have to actually write something besides my name on Christmas cards. Something that makes the person getting the card smile. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Making somebody or a lot of somebodies smile. That’s a mama’s/grandmama’s job, isn’t it? And most of us wouldn’t have it any other way.
~So are you whirling in place or can you say yes to that dreaded question, “Are you ready for Christmas?” Maybe we should forget the shopping and the baking, the decorating and the wrapping, and just say yes. Yes, we are ready for Christmas. Ready to welcome the spirit of love into our hearts and share the joy that Christmas means. As to the rest of that stuff we need to get ready, we’ll get enough of it done. Enough to enjoy the day and see the magic sparkle in the eyes of the little ones we love.
~Hope you enjoy each and every day as you count down toward Christmas.