A Magical Season

Admittedly, for many years now since my kids have grown up, the holidays have been more something to get through rather than celebrate.  I usually got my Christmas spirit by Christmas Eve with the big service at church, the traditional Norwegian dinner with friends and Christmas Day with my family. However, the weeks leading up to Christmas in particular have always been filled with stress, worry about if the gifts I got for my kids were nice enough, and panic about how I was going to get everything done.  In a way, it kind of took away from the fun of the holiday.

This year is very different.  My sweetheart is someone who LOVES holidays.  And he does them up big time.  LOL  He decorated my porch again.  This time with beautiful poinsettias on the steps and red and white cyclamen in pots.  He has made plans for several events during the season and is especially cheerful.  Today we went to a Christmas ballet.  It was absolutely beautiful and so festive.  I have to say that I am feeling a bit o' the Christmas spirit.  We have listened to Christmas music and shopping has actually been a bit fun.  Tonight we were laughing out loud at some really silly Christmas cards in the card section at Target.  It has been fun.

I have to say that despite the firestorm of criticism this week, we actually enjoyed watching The Sound of Music on Thursday night.  I went into it not expecting it to be like the classic movie.  We both really thought it was entertaining.  The Sound of Music holds a special place in my heart because it is where my sweet Liesl got her name.  (She is only six going on seven, lol.)   I thought it was a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours on a Thursday evening (I can not stay up until eleven on a school night.) 

I shall have to figure out a way to do a little holiday baking soon.  I will make my homemade marshmallows. I will also make just a couple of traditional ones that the family loves like thumbprint cookies.  It is fun to bake for my grown up kids again.  Maybe I will bake some doggie cookies for my Liesl, too.  

I did buy myself a little Christmas present a week ago.  It comes with story.  On Black Friday in the late afternoon my honey had to go to Office Depot.  While I was in there, they had a Kindle Fire HD 8GB.  I had been toying with the idea of buying one for a while.  This one was $139 and you got a $25 gift card with the purchase.  I thought it sounded like a good price.  The associate in the computer aisle said that they had two left.  However, when I went up to the front to pay, they said that they were out of the 8 GB.  My honey asked how much it would be if I got the next size up, but I just said, "No, the fact that they do not have this particular one in stock is the sign that I do not need to buy one today."  So we left.  (My age and experience have taught me not to chase after things to make them work.)  This Monday at Amazon they advertised the 16GB Kindle Fire for only $119.  Higher memory capacity for less money.  It is funny how things turn out.  I received my Kindle Fire on Thursday and love it.  It has pretty good sound so I can play my Bach radio on Pandora.  I am a happy girl.

Well, I am off to get some sleep.  My dear one has more Yule fun planned for tomorrow, so I need to get my beauty rest!