November 08, 2014

Getting spirited.

I used to think that Christmas didn't start until December. It just seemed wrong. When I started blogging, though, I got a new perspective. Christmas is a good thing. It's okay to embrace it before December, but we just need to make sure we're not going overboard.

Try to avoid going all out Christmas crazy until after Remembrance Day as a respect thing. Try to avoid putting up your tree until closer to December. Try not to wear your Christmas sweaters to work while you still have (Canadian) Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge. It's okay to wear Christmas underwear all year round, though, because that's your little secret.

A couple years ago I started getting into the Christmas spirit early. It was a rough year. I needed something to look forward to. I didn't get the tree set up until December, but I was rolling in the spirit already. Last year the tree went up November 30. But you know what? Christmas isn't just about the tree. It's about the music and the baking and the parties and the music and the church and the people and the love and the candles and the movies and the cowls and the atmosphere and the lovings. And the Jesus, too, but we try to make that an all year round thing.

Christmas has become therapeutic for me. The season starts when I need a break and it ends when I'm ready. Last year that meant that our tree wasn't down until the second half of January (which is wrong, so wrong, but I was busy flying all over the place getting ready to uproot us and needed my sparkly tree to soothe me). This year it means that today I put on some Christmas music and basked in it. Am basking in it. Right now.

It's been a rough couple weeks. Colds running through our house and migraines and the loss of a family friend mean that we're a little tired and in need of something to raise our spirits. Enter Christmas music.

I skipped out on work early yesterday to take care of a mid-morning migraine (which, hallelujah, a three hour nap made like nothing even happened) so we had to go pick up my car today. Today's the beginning of non-stop below-freezing temperatures until likely sometime in April. The occasional snowflake is coming down and, even though it's grey, there's something to be said for feeling good, well rested, and happy. If my belly is full of banana chocolate cake, I'm freshly showered, and I'm wearing my mittens, what could be better?

As soon as I dropped Karl off at my car I swapped CDs and put on a Christmas mix I have zero recollection of actually listening to last year. It must have been an end of season thing I made, but it's nice to have some new music. Yeah, it's cold, dreary, grey, and Saskatchewan, but I'm feeling good.

Karl's downstairs watching Nascar while I fold laundry and listen to the classic Christmas tunes. Because, like I said before, it's therapeutic. It's good for the soul.

And I may have bought a David's Tea advent calendar this week to share with a co-worker. Is it December yet?

3 comments:

  1. "It's okay to wear Christmas underwear all year round, though, because that's your little secret."

    I need to get some Christmas underwear. THAT is what's missing in my life right now!

    I've talked Isaiah into putting up our tree the weekend before Thanksgiving. Normally we are full of Christmas cheer by Thanksgiving because we're surrounded by all things Christmas in Juneau but since we're not going this year, there's nothing really to look forward to. Hence, the early decorating.

    Tea advent calendar = best idea ever.

    Also, I'm sorry about your family friend. That's rough. :-(

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  2. Sorry you had a rough week. :(

    I used to be against decorating before Christmas, but why delay all of the joy that comes with the holiday spirit? Justin is determined not to put up the tree before Thanksgiving, but I've been DIYing some other little decorations and sorting through some of the stuff we have stashed away. :)

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  3. I have yet to decorate. I love Christmas decorations, but between my dislike for tchotchkes (or anything that does not serve a physical function), spending money on something that is not an actual need, and noise polution (music is hardly ever played in my home because hello, two boys who already make too much noise!), Christmas is quite lacking in our home.

    However, we get to celebrate early this year! Calvin is finally old enough to enjoy and understand it, so we are having our first Christmas with just our little family. This has to be early because we are always with our extended families surrounding Christmas, so we are going Dutch and celebrating Sinterklaas Day on the weekend of December 5! Yay early Christmas!

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