After Thanksgiving

It is this strange time of year- after Thanksgiving, which was particularly wonderful this year - and before Advent. Everywhere I look, people have their Christmas decorations up, radio stations began broadcasting Christmas carols on T-giving afternoon, those that had the decency to wait for T-giving, that is. And I feel like saying, "bah, humbug!" I don't feel like Christmas yet, and I do not even want to feel like it. Can't we bask in the glow of Thanksgiving for a few days? I realize that I sound like an old fuddy-duddy, and maybe that is what I am.

I am looking forward to the celebration of Advent and Christmas that we have at Annunciation - lots of musical events, Musical Feast, The Baroque concert, The Annunciation Chamber Singers, and Lessons and Carols. More and more I want to celebrate the season, and the gift-giving means less and less every year.

All of my family, except the grandchildren, are getting donations to charity this year. Oh, I'll have a few small gifts, for the grown kids, but that is what they are, small and/or homemade. There are a few things that I get for the Texan, and he. of course, needs to get a little something for me. I guess I am being unAmerican by not buying out all the retail stores, but the economy will just have to survive without me.

I am still in the Thankful mood, thankful for the dear friends who are part of our collected family, thankful for the family that I was born into, gave birth to, or married into, thankful for the health we have this year, even caught myself being thankful for indoor plumbing when it got really cold one night! Maybe I will just stay in the Thankful mood until Christmas Eve, when we have a Special One to be thankful for.