It is almost unreal that one week from today will be Christmas Day, and a week after that a new decade will begin. It seems like yesterday that I was only 20 years old and now it will soon be the year 2020, and in a little over a month I’ll be beginning the last year of my 50s. Yuck!
I’ll tell you something else, the older I get the less enthusiastic I am about doing any kind of Christmas shopping. Wife, Danny, and I use to love the crowds and the atmosphere of last minute shopping, but this past weekend we both quickly lost the spirit. It seems we had just gotten started when all the grumpy people came crashing down around us. Then, we too, became grumpy people.
The music was playing so loudly in one store that we couldn’t hear ourselves think much less shop so we gave up there and decided to head on down the road. Wild drivers were everywhere and before long we opted to give up the hunt altogether.
That causes a predicament of sorts, since I’ve not bought the first gift for my sweet wife and although she claims she doesn’t want anything, I’m most certain that wouldn’t turn out so well come Christmas morn.
Plus, as she says, it wouldn’t be much fun for the now-grown girl child who is still counting down the days to Santa’s big reveal. She bought just about everything she is getting this year for herself already, so the element of surprise in that department is a bit compromised as well.
As of this writing on Monday morning, I’ve yet to figure out my plan for the week but time is getting short and early deadlines for the Christmas edition of this newspaper will be upon us tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I need a spirit boost, but I am not sure where to find it.
To add insult to injury, two holiday gatherings, in two days, 125 miles apart had the wife and me both dragging when the alarm clock went off to begin this week before Christmas work week. We just can’t rock around the Christmas tree like we used to.
And, while I’m whining, even though there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it, a holiday on a Wednesday is absolutely the very worst timing there can possibly be. On a positive note, though, next year is leap year so having the holiday fall on a Friday is probably the absolute best timing there can be. I’m looking forward to next year already. If the year 2020 flies by like the year 2019 did the holidays will be making their return visit before we know it and then I’ll be a month away from 60. Ugh!
Rest assured I’m working on an attitude adjustment right now, perhaps there will be something festive on the television this week and if I can keep my eyes open long enough to take in a program or two, that will help run off the Grinch and put a little bit of that Cindy Lou Who spirit in his place. That is if this weird week of weather doesn’t knock out the antenna.
One thing that does put a twinkle in my eye and a grin on my face, is the vintage Blow Mold Nativity Scene on our front porch. It’s one of those hard plastic, light up, sets that were popular years ago and was a gift from our dear friend Debbie Goodwin in Newton.
It’s not the Nativity Scene, though, that makes me chuckle it’s the two Blue Heelers that have taken up parttime residence at our house. They are goofy dogs and can act really strange at times, but this week they are calm and collected.
You see, they have taken to sleeping at the feet of Mary and Joseph so I suppose you can say we have one of those live, drive by Nativity Scenes of our very own.
That helps curb the Grinchy attitude a little bit anyway. Now if they could only go shopping for me I’d be set!
