Since November 1st Alice has been in full Christmas swing. Actually, I succeeded in retarding her joyful oscillations for a few days, but she eventually broke free of my humbugish restraints. She has been begging to put up decorations since the beginning of the month and the Christmas music started shortly after that. On Sunday we finally pulled out the box of decorations and spruced up our little apartment with holiday cheer. (I wonder if the term 'spruce up' comes from using spruce tree branches in decorating for Christmas. I'll look that up on an etymology website and get back to you.) Mostly we put up some garland and a few strategically placed Christmas bows (even the glass head that wears my hats when I'm not got a bow tie). And the buttery smooth strains of Robert Goulet's Christmas float dreamily on the breeze (created by the ceiling fan). I have even pulled out our pirated copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas to delight and depress us sometime later this week. And of course, Alice is learning a few Christmas carols on the harp. You can't get
much more angelic than Alice playing Christmas music on the harp! Snickerdoodles were dutifully baked and a pumpkin pie air freshener is busily wafting its sweet fragrance right along side Goulet's melodies on that artificial breeze. Our apartment is a veritable cornucopia of Christmas Cheer!
Only one thing is bugging me. It seems like there was something else we were supposed to do. Some other holiday coming up BEFORE Christmas or something. But for the life of me I can't remember what it is. Oh well. Happy Christmas!
[Etymology of 'spruce up': This phrase originated in the 1500's when Spruce was a synonym for Prussian (the Spruce tree was abundant in Prussia and so got the name 'Spruce'). There was an especially popular jerkin made from Prussian (or Spruce) leather that was thought to look very smart. Thus, 'to spruce' came to mean 'to make neat, smart looking, or trim'. The addition of 'up' on the end occurred later. So unfortunately, 'sprucing up' has nothing to do with Christmas, but jerkins are almost as fun.
jer·kin /ˈdʒɜrkɪn/ [jur-kin]
–noun
a close-fitting jacket or short coat, usually sleeveless, as one of leather worn in the 16th and 17th centuries.
That reminds me of a Demetri Martin joke which I have embedded below for your convenience.]
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
It's Christmas...It's Christmas Time!
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6 Helens agree.
I am barely restraining myself from Christmas decorating. Steve got the music started last week, but I feel this guilty pressure to celebrate Thanksgiving. Is THAT what Thanksgiving is all about?
i refuse to feel guilty. in fact, beginning to celebrate Christmas BEFORE thanksgiving actually makes more sense. thanksgiving is a thankful holiday and what could i be more thankful for than Christmas?
Since we are suppose to celebrate Jesus' birth at christmas I am making a request to have Costco cake on that very speacial day.
alice, you play the harp?! do you have your own? that is on my list of things to do before i die. or even if i never learned to play it, it would just look so cool standing in my front room.
ALICE!!! I am sooo with you on the Premature Christmas Excitement!!!
Our tiny condo has officially been converted into a winter wonderland since the day after Thanksgiving, and it is now time to start baking cookies...lets make a bake-off date soon!!
One post a week just isn't getting it done...
Chop, chop...
Go ahead. It's only 2¢.