Monday, December 12, 2011

My favorite (Christmas) things

I keep hearing "My Favorite Things" playing on the local Christmas radio stations and wondering when "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" became a holiday sentiment suitable for play alongside "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Silver Bells."

If I wanted to wrap up all my favorite things about Christmas, how many brown paper packages tied up with string would it take? Here's a start:

Mannheim Steamroller CDs.

Putting up the Christmas tree with help from the family. Three of us working together can assemble and decorate the tree in approximately one and a half Mannheim Steamroller CDs.

Fuzzy red socks.

Fingernails shining with bright red nail polish topped with glitter.

Window-shopping while wearing fuzzy red socks and sparkly red nail polish.

The Dave Barry Holiday Gift Guide, which this year includes the "toad purse: A gift she will always remember, even after therapy."

Merry Tuba Christmas, in which (mostly) amateur musicians ranging in age from 12 to 82 play Christmas carols to a packed house of carol-singing, key-jingling, laughing, chortling, and giggling listeners

Handel's Messiah, again.

Stirring fudge.

Packing fudge in boxes to send to people I love.

Eating fudge.

Finding great gifts--and keeping them secret until Christmas.

My birthday! (Which isn't exactly a Christmas thing, except that turning 50 surrounded by great friends feels like a gift.)

My daughter's birthday! (She'll always be my favorite Christmas-Eve gift.)

Egg nog. (Just a little. And then just a little more.)

Christmas cookies.

Finding little jars of specialty mustards to put in everyone's stockings.

Wrapping packages.

Sending packages.

Getting packages in the mail.

Playing board games with friends and family.

Holiday chai. 

Christmas cantatas.

Christmas Eve candlelight services.

Advent wreaths.


Singing "Joy to the World, the Lord is Come!"

Deciding which of the Christmas gift books to start reading first.

And then, finally, the droopy eyelids, the nodding head, the falling book, and the very welcome Christmas afternoon nap.

These are a few of my favorite holiday things. How about you?


1 comment:

Nicole said...

Our Christmas Eve tradition: the Christmas Eve service followed by kids' movies and tapas and chocolate and wine! We look forward to it all year.