Does it feel anything like Christmas yet?

[Bibbyman]

Christmas is little more than a week away and I see very little excitement about it.  I kind of start wishing people “Merry Christmas” after Thanksgiving if I’m not likely to see them again before Christmas.  So far, I think I’ve just shocked them.  “Oh.. yea.  Merry Christmas to you too.”.  I don’t think I’ve received a single “Merry Christmas” wish from anyone – even the Wal-Mart greeter.

A short Christmas story…

For the past several years the girls have been putting up a fake Christmas tree son Gabe and got someplace.  It comes in three sections and in a permanent state of decoration.  It even has strings of lights.  Just get it out, stack up the sections and plug it in and you’re done.

Well,  not this year.  Brooke remembered way back in the “good ol’ days” when the girls and Uncle Chris went out hunting for a Christmas tree.  Once “treed”, Uncle Chris blasted it off its stump with a handgun.   Redneck Christmas for sure.

The girls wanted to go Christmas tree hunting again this year.   Since the it gets dark about 10 minuts after they get home from school,  I decided expedite the expedition by searching out a likely tree ahead of time.  One was located about 50 yards from the house.  When they got home, out we went in search of the allusive Christmas tree. Instead of a gun,  we just took a hatchet.  The girls were happy with the one I pre-selected and took turns whacking at it until it fell.  It took more than 40 blows.

We trimmed a couple of bottom branches and set it in a 5 gallon bucket and wedged sticks of firewood around the trunk to keep it upright.  The cedar stands at least 8' tall. We'll cover the bucket with a colorful sheet or something.  It'll look homely but great.

Tonight the girls are making paper decorations from gift wrap paper. 

Much better than the instant tree.   

[stonebroke]

At least up north the snow reminds your it is Christmas time. Must be weird to have Christmas with green grass.

Stonebroke

[woodmills1]

Bibby hope this helps, we once again bought the real tree.  We have a 22 year old living with us this winter and got her friends to help us trim the tree with our real mostly wooden ornaments.    It does feel like christmas here and I hope you pick up the sentement.  Also hope the work is flowing and checks are coming in.

So. I say Merry ChristmasMERRY CHRISTMAS

[wampum]

Bibbyman,I see that you are 59. That seems to have a lot to do with it seeming like Christmas. The older I get the less I expect,I like to give more. But it is such a hassle to shop anymore. The traffic,the crowds,but most of us go through the grind. Christmas really is not about how much or how many gifts you can give on one day. I have found that doing what you can,and sharing all the love you can all year long is what Christmas is all about. However I really enjoy watching my Grandchildren get so excited on Christmas day. But I always make sure every Christmas they know that with out Christ there would not be Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season,now I am starting to get into the Christmas spirit.

[LeeB]

It seems like Christmas is a pretty big day here in Croatia, but I don'e see much decoration and the comercial thing isn't as big as at home. I'm pretty sure there will be some kind of special meal for us, but it will be work as usual for the day. I'm holding off on my Christmas spirit till I get back home and we will celibrate then. I did however buy myself a new lathe tonight for Christmas. 

[logwalker]

Hey Bibby, does that tree smell as good as I remember they do?

We havn't had a tree in a long time,   

[zopi]

I can't seem to muster up much spirit either...too much commercial bs and idiotic christmas music...

Rockin' the Cheer Gut is about the best christmas song i've heard this year...

[Warbird]

Merry Christmas, Bibby.

[Bibbyman]

Hey Bibby, does that tree smell as good as I remember they do?

We havn't had a tree in a long time,   

Well,  sawmilling so much cedar as we have,  I can hardly smell it any more.  I could smell it when I had my face right in it when I was holding it while the girls wacked away at it.  And I could smell it when I carried it into the house - holding onto the 5 gallon bucket with one hand and the trunk with the other.  It must smell as Brooke noted shortly after it was in the house,  "Mmmm!  Smell that pine!"  Mary corrected her.  "Whatever." Was her comeback.

Mary and I have been into Walmart and some other stores earlier this week and there does not seem to be much of a Christmas shopping crowd.  I took note of the toy isles and one time there was nobody shopping in them.  The Westlakes hardware store had some big discounts on tools but still not enough that I would buy something unless I needed it.  And I didn’t see anyone else buying anything other than what they needed.

My Mom and Brooke are the only ones that have been obsessed with Christmas.  Mom has been asking sizes and such and “What does so and so want?” for a couple of months now.  It’s tough on her not to have little kids on which to lavish tons of small toys and clothes.  Christmas for her is watching the grandkids open their gifts and getting all excited and the big family meal.  Brooke tends to find all kinds of things she’d like to have when she shops for gifts for others.

I guess Mary is in the Christmas mode.  We had to paint the living room Sunday.  She’s been working at getting everything back into some place ever since and far from done yet.  She’s in the “deep cleaning” mode.  That is, collect everything up that’s loose, shove it into a box, shove the box into a closet someplace.

Christmas for me in the past 10 years has been having the family around our dining room table.  Thanksgiving this year was a depressing day for me.  My folks elected not to come down due to the cold and nasty weather (although I drive them right up to the front door across the lawn).  My son Chris and wife Heather couldn’t make it.  So there was just me, Mary,  son Gabe and the girls.  It was a great meal but not the same.

My shopping has evolved into thinking about stuff I have and matching it with someone I think would really like to have it and giving it to them.  The true value may be insignificant but more sentimental character.  For example,  I have a star quilt that my grandmother made Mary and I for our wedding gift.  It is hand pieced, and hand quilted.  She was well into her 80’s when she made it and the craftsmanship is poor but there is still a lot of sentimental value to it.  But I’m thinking someday I’ll give it to my daughter-in-law.  That kind of thing..

[Jasperfield]

Well... Yes!

It IS feeling like Christmas. But, you've got to think about it, ponder it, recognize it.

Christmas means: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men".

It does not mean that there will always be peace everywhere on earth. And it does not mean that that all men will show good will toward each other. It means that God is granting to man, His peace. He is making peace with man.

Luke 2:13 says: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,"...

I believe that what those shepherds saw was like nothing they ever had imagined. I think that when the multitude of angels appeared, the shepherds saw the whole night sky open up with a light far brighter, and with a living clarity of perception. And they saw living, before-unseen colors and they saw salvation with their eyes.

I believe they saw, as they looked up, beautiful angels literally extending into eternity. I believe these most-lowly of men saw (with their human eyes) the absolute endlessness of the distance of time eternal. And, they saw, heard with their ears and shared in their minds, with the angels (and with the Angel of the Lord) the understanding of the event we now call Christmas.

[Chris Burchfield]

Before Halloween, I would take Madison our three and a half year old grand daughter to Lowe's with me when I made the trip for whatever. We'd go down the isles where they have the pumpkins, witches, scarybones (skeletons) and goblins. Day after these were all gone and Christmas* stuff was hitting the shelves. Later trips we'd see Santa, Mrs. Clause, Snowman, Reindeer, penguins in all sorts of fashion sledding, rocking. Madison would say where's the Halloween stuff Gdaddy? I'd say gone till next year. Day after Thanksgiving, we have a radio station that plays continuous Christmas music. I keep it on to help get me in the mindset and mood. I tagged a nice eight point Black Friday bout 7:25 a.m. Passing the Walmart and Target store about 10m till six I don't know how they could squeeze another car into the parking lot. Wife wanted me to see if I could find some Zhu Zhu pets (battery operated hamsters.) Lot nicer than the real ones that multiply, have to be fed, watered and cage cleaned out. They are more elusive than deer in the woods when you look for them on the store shelves. Finally found some 20 minutes after Target opened. Within 30 minutes they were all gone limiting customers to two each. I knew we were getting close to Christmas yesterday, wife said the night before the dryer is out. After a couple of hours with an ohm meter and knowing I'd done a good rebuild bout 5 years ago, it was time to get a new dryer. Had to put it on the Blue Box card. Almost messed up and ran through on a debit card. Man you think I wouldn't have been in trouble. Time are tight but, I have my family close by and all are well. We wish you all Merry Christmas, and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

[Qweaver]

Each year we make a point of reminiscing about Christmas as in was in our youth.  Selecting and cutting a tree, making most of our decorations, a big family dinner where the house was full and warm and fun.  Not much money for fancy gifts but it was a great time for us and my memories are that it was better then than it is now.  I still love it tho'
Quinton

[Sprucegum]

My grand daughter just found out Santa is not real    Her Mom persuaded her to keep the secret from the younger ones but now when her Dad says "I can't wait for Santa to come" she gives him a real funny look   

This is the first year we are not having a tree - none of the kids can make it home. Instead we are gathering at my sons house New Years Day to celebrate (and eat).

[motohed]

I am looking forward to Christmas this year as my family will all be home this year , and we won't be house jumping this year ! I know that sounds selfish , but we usually have to travel around to different family homes all day. This year we finally got the idea to all celabraite Christmas at my home this year , and switch next year to another family home. I am glad as it gives us all more time to celbraite together .

Merry Christmas everyone and Please be safe in your travels .

[Dodgy Loner]

It feels more like Christmas at my house than it did at this time last year. Last year, I decided that it was not worth the time to put up a Christmas tree since I had no visitors in the month of December. This year, my fiance insisted that I get a tree, just so she could have one to decorate (her roommates had taken the initiative of decorating their tree while she was away ). I bought a 6-foot fir for $20, and she chipped in $12 for some ornaments. I already had the lights. We had a great time decorating, and now I always turn the lights on when I'm home and enjoy the smell and the ambience.

As a woodworker, though, I can always tell when it's Christmas because I spend all of my free time in the shop. So far this month, I've built a cedar blanket chest, turned 2 rolling pins and 5 bowls (with more bowls to come), I'm working on refinishing and recaning an old rocking chair, and I'm in the middle of building a small dovetailed box. It is exhausting but I love it

[Patty]

I love Christmastime. It is a magical time for children, so I do all that I can to keep the magic alive for them. Every year, after Thanksgiving weekend, I gather up whomever will go with me to saw down a beautiful tree, drag it home, and squeeeeeze it into the house! Next come the decorations collected throughout the past years.... Ornaments the kids made in school, baby's first Christmas ornaments, handmade ornaments received as gifts from special (and oftentimes long-gone) friends, and the unique hand painted glass balls each beautifully decorated with scenes of Iowa white Christmas's. Stockings get hung, little winter villages put up, and the Mary & Joseph scene with baby Jesus is a must.

This year we will have two special children over on Christmas day along with our sons , our daughter-in-law, and girlfriend. My goal is to make this day one the children will remember for a very long time. We have had so much fun buying them toys! This is the first time we have had the pleasure of buying toys for a little girl. I try to remember back when I was her age (8 years) and what was important to me then.

Yesterday I went shopping all by myself. I enjoyed visiting with the bell-ringers and donating to the little red buckets. The check-out girls were so pleasant, when I greeted them with a smile and a Merry Christmas.

I guess I believe in the magic of Christmas. It is not a feeling that just happens on its own......you have to feel it in your heart and then go make the magic happen.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope your Christmas is filled with wonder and hope.

[Mooseherder]

I know a lot of folks are struggling with the economy but if ya gotta send a Christmas card with Postage Due, maybe just maybe, you might want to skip the card this year.
We received this one from Lolita's cousin today.  There wasn't a return addy on either.

[thecfarm]

When I lived alone many years ago and not home much I did not put up a tree.Well my little nieces came to visit me just a little before Christmas and said all wide eyed,You have no tree.Where will Santa put your presents? Under Grammies tree,was my quick reply.A return to normal expression was back and an OK and everything was fine now.
Christmas is in full mode here.Just had the work party.Lots of good eats.I'm ready for it to come.

[isawlogs]

 Bib , here clic and listen , one of the best Christmas songs ever .

      JusT for you :   

  Ok ya might have to copy paste , but well worth the listen .     

 

[Bibbyman]

Thanks!  I did.

Now here is some real good Christmas songs by my ol' pal Gene Autry.

Link to Jango

http://www.jango.com/music/Gene+Autry?l=0

Here is a classic on YouTube