Christmas is coming!

While we were in Tennessee we discovered that our XM radio has 4 holiday music channels! I'm not counting the one that is all Humbug mockery. Consequently we've been listening to Christmas carols for over 3 weeks now.

The down side to this is that I think I've heard perhaps every possible rendition of every holiday song ever recorded. The most disturbing by far: Barbra Streisand singing "My Favorite Things." Hear for yourself on Amazon. It's just...wrong. Thank goodness Rodgers and Hammerstein died before she recorded this.

Here's a random list of some of the things that make it feel like Christmas to me:

• Going out to get our fresh-cut Concolor Fir from a local farm.
• Getting out all the ornaments; it's like they're old friends. Plus like so much else in our lives, each one has a story.
• Planting Amaryllis and watching them grow.
• Singing Christmas carols.
• Decorating outside and adding more lights each year.
• Taking the girls to bring Toys for Tots to the local police station.
• Helping each girl to shop for her sister and father.
• Cooking Christmas dinner to remember my mother (standing rib roast, roasted potatoes and popovers).
• Buying our favorite Cava by the case. (see the drink recipe!)

There's lots more, but that's all for today.

Here's a few tree-centric pictures for you all. Sorry I've been too busy to post much lately.

Look, I do exist!