Things that put me in the MOOD...

(for Christmas) I realized I had to stress that last part because I have a lot of dirty minded friends and relatives. I wouldn't have it any other way either. lol.

It's a known fact that I am a jolly person. Actually my sister told me that I was so F$#*ing jolly that I made her sick. Well, OK, it was July and I was singing a Christmas song. I'm a sucker for a good X-mas tune....plus they are easy to remember the words to....and that is important when singing or so they tell me. Hey, I sang, "Give me the Beach Boys and save my soul, I wanna get lost in your Rock and Roll" for years before I realized it was "Give me the beat, boys....or Give me a beat, boys....don't ask me, I just make up new lyric as I go along anyway. Shoot, I also sang, "I want a Harley tonight, a Harley, I'm sure"...instead of "I want to Party tonight, a party I'm sure." I'm still not sure why my parents ever allowed me out of the house and to mingle with normal people.

On with my short list. Things that mean Christmas to me: ( in no specific order)

~Christmas songs but most specifically The Beach Boys Christmas Album. That sucker reeks Christmas...and lets face it, who can't get a groove on while singing "Little Saint Nick," come on people its a classic. Oh yeah, Burl Ives gets me excited too. My favorite song to sing is Silent Night. Its the first song I ever sang in a school Christmas concert....I just remember being a kindergartener and singing, "Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace. I thought it was the pretties song ever and all these years later it still makes me a flutter with joy.

~My Mom's butter press cookies. The are good when I make them but for some reason Mom's are better and when she makes them they have no calories, they make you smarter and for some unknown reasons they make you behave like a squirrel. You find yourself hiding them all over the place so other people can't snatch them and so you will have some left for a mid winter snack.

~Christmas decorations...tree ornaments specifically. I have enough ornaments for several trees but I feel that I must shove them on one tree. I like to have a big tree with lots and lots of crap on it and by crap, I mean my treasures. Each ornament has a story. If I ever won the lottery, a large chunk of my winnings would go toward holiday decorations. I'm serious. Plus I love the annual Christmas Ornament Exchange that I have with my gal friends from High School. That is a high light of my holiday experience.

~My family. I love and adore each and every one of the nut cases. I miss the days when everyone got together and all hell broke loose, but only in the best possible sense of the word. When I was a kid, our Uncles and Aunts were all young and had lots of energy. I remember laughing and joking around...that was heaven on earth for a child. Shoot, even if there had been no presents, just being with the whole family was the best gift on earth. They have given me the best memories a girl could ever wish for and for that reason alone, I am blessed.

~I love giving gifts and wrapping them up and passing them out. The problem is that I do this all year long. That is why the people at the Post Office know me by name. Seriously, I'm a wrapping paper snob too. I like the thick paper that is crisp and expensive....ribbons and bells and bows. I should own stock in Scotch Tape.

~Snow...lots and lots of glissening snow...and if we can't have that, then I'll take really cold weather. The kind of weather that chills you to the bone, so you are incline to stay indoors with a cozy cup of hot chocolate, a fuzzy blanket and a good book or good company that makes you snort when you laugh.

~the sound of sleigh bells and crunching snow....awww, that is the best. Throw in the smell of a fire burning in the neighbors fireplace...yeah, that's nice.

~Watching "Its a Wonderful Life" cause "every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings"....and when Clarence gets his wings it reminds me of my Grandpa Clarence...who has his wings too. Sometimes I catch myself shouting "ZUZU's Petals!" for no reason in particular. I've even been prone to sing, Buffalo Gals, Won't you come out tonight..." It's just my favorite movie. Sure I love to watch the other Cartoon Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman....or even It's a Charlie Brown Christmas but nothing compares to Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed dancing on the gym floor as it opens over the pool. Now that is good entertainment.

BY THE WAY...I'm decorating for Christmas this year after all. The construction isn't happening until March so that means I am free to get all my crap out of the attic. How excited am I?!