A Season Of Love

[turtlepins]

I used to hate Christmas. I hated the crowds in the stores, the commercialism, the pressure to get everything done in time, and just about everything else. Things have changed for me. Now I love the season. I love walking through the stores (especially the toy section) and watching people. Twice the past week I've helped people load something in their car they were struggling with (a TV and a crib). I look for people who are stressed out and share a smile and sometimes an encouraging word. I try to bless people. In the mall I see people sitting alone and often sit down and talk (usually listen more than talk). And I love the decorations! We're planning a Friday evening date of just driving around the Lancaster/Palmdale area and looking at decorations. This is a season of love, a time to relax and enjoy life, a time to give. Hope you're doing the same!

[Red Barchetta]

Glad you enjoy it....

Decorations are nice to look at, but the crowds, taking over an hour standing on line to buy 3-4 items, traffic tied up, people driving like complete idiots, exc. has got to go..

That's why my shopping for Christmas actually starts somewhere between the middle of January and the beginning of February.

That way when December comes around, there is little is anything still left to buy (other than a tree). If there is anything left to buy, there is plenty of time to order it over the Internet, and get it in plenty of time.

Malls, I deliberately avoid between black Friday and about 1 week after New Years day, for reasons stated above.

Besides being way less of a hassle, this also helps the bank account - no spending so much a once, instead small amounts all year, not such a big ouch that way. And as an added bonus, you end up with more for everyone.