Christmas nears!

2015 is drawing closer to ending and Christmas is creeping forward to be here this week.  But, it's hard to believe these two epic events are now right around that proverbial corner.  My goodness, have you followed the weather forecast for this week?  This could be cold/flu weather.  Next week, we're told, could see a change into a more traditional weather period for our area.  Officially, we're still not into the winter season, but we will be before this missive comes down.  Winter starts late Monday, just before midnight.

Edited Tuesday AM:  And now Winter is here so it has my permission to snow.  What's that?  We are going to get precipitation today?  Yea, but it isn't snow.  And on this Dec. 22nd, Happy Birthday, Big Brother, wherever you are.  He passed from Cancer more than 20 years ago and has done a good job looking after me ever since.

Probably the merchants are happy with the weather.  After all, the warmth,  will it really be close to 60 this week?, could draw shoppers out, even shoppers who have finished their shopping like me.  I can assure you, though, I won't be one of them.  My Christmas shopping is done, thanks to several respectable on-line venues.  My wife and daughter also tell me they're finished, too, but they faced the crowds.

There is, of course, one minor problem with on-line shopping.  Delivery.  Oh all my stuff, what little I've gotten this year, has been safely delivered at my house, but that's not the minor problem  Like me, my wife is also retired, although to get away from me she works part time in a local market, she is home more than away.  So whenever the white or brown truck comes down the driveway, she at the very least usually sees the store the package is from.  That causes very few, if any, surprises.

Although surprises no longer, she was surprised at a couple of presents she bought for me this year.  I may not have mentioned to her that I was sending for them.  It's all O.K., though, as at our positions in the life span, we really have no secrets from each other.  Days like Christmas do present some minor situations as we both get what we really want and/or need anytime during the year so our presents are mostly "fill-ins" just so we can continue to have a Christmas.

My biggest problems with Christmas is simple;

 

Mariah left us a year ago.

It just occurred to me, I had promised you some looks at our Christmas Village 2015 occasionally though this season.  I've neglected that, but here's one from our Department 56 Victorian Collection:

Our daughter designed this section.

 

With no snow on the horizon for this potentially warm weather week, it looks like we'll be having a "green" Christmas here in Southern Maine.  Nevertheless, we wish you a very merry one.

 

Dave