Its Coming! Its Coming!

     I can't believe it.  Its finally Almost Here.  I've waited Aaaaalllll year.  Now, I can finally say its almost here.  This is my absolute favorite time of the year.  Tomorrow we will begin to decorate for the wonderful event that the whooooole world will help me celebrate.

     Don't you just love this time of year?  Everyone seems so friendly and kind.  Pretty lights are everywhere.  People think Snow, no matter if they are at the equator.  Okay, okay.  Maybe no one else does really, but I do and as long as I am thinking snow, well, I just know that everyone else is helping me to think it.  After all, doesn't everyone want snow for Christmas?  Surely, Christmas can't come without snow, can it?

     When I was about 14 years old, we took a trip from South Carolina to Florida and then, Maine.  I don't recall where we were on any of the other days, but I remember that we were in Florida on Christmas day and Maine on New Year's Day.  In Florida it was hot and humid and I was not impressed.  Of course, at 14, I'm sure that I didn't think I was supposed to be impressed by anything.

     We stayed at a Holiday Inn and there was a pool.  My little brother, 3 years younger than I, were very close.  That is, until he broke the cardinal rule.  On Christmas day, he had the audacity to go swimming.  Swimming!  What was he thinking?  Christmas is not for swimming.  Christmas is for snow skiing and sledding, snowmen and forts.  I was crushed!  Betrayed by my own partner in crime.  By afternoon, I managed to work my way through my little attitude, thanks to the continuing heat and discomfort, and joined him for a nice cool dip in the pool.  And naturally, we are still very close.

     Isn't it funny, some of the ideas we grasp onto?  Do you ever wonder where some of them come from?  It seems there are superstitions and wild-hairs about everything; black cats, ladders, salt, spiders and the list goes on.  Do you have memories of unique ideas that caused you to change the ways you've done things?