12 sleeps!!! 12 Drummers drumming!!! 12 ...um..hmmm...12 pounds of chocolate to be consumed!!! OK, that last one was a stretch, but give me credit for trying. I just realised it's almost the middle of December and I've yet to mention anything about Christmas, so here's my first season special blog post for your holiday entertainment.

Christmas comes but once for two months of the year. Once the scarecrows and goblins are tucked away and the bags of mini everything are sold off at discount rates, in come the giant candy canes, gift galore at every store (note the cute rhyme there) and, of course, good old Sunday shopping. Is it just me that finds it ironic that on PEI Sunday shopping is not allowed except for the five weekends before we celebrate Christianity in big to-do birthday party for Jesus? I mean, based on my unqualified assumption that Sunday shopping is banned due to its interference with the 'day of rest' concept (because PEI is still v. dominated by church-goign elders), it just seems kind of, well, hypocritical to declare pre-Christmas an OK time to shop - as if business somehow deserves the opportunity to make even more big bucks in this cheerful season of giving and receiving.

There - that's my one and only comment on the materialism associated with Christmas. In my humble opinion, it's not an overly ridiculous rant. Believe me, I could have raved on for much longer! The thing is, I love Christmas so much and I love everything about it! People who say they don't like Christmas because it is commercial, well I don't understand that philosophy. Christmas is only as commercial as each of us chooses to make it. Why, all one has to do is watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas to understand this very simple concept. So, if you don't like the commercialism, don't buy gifts and don't spend every moment worrying about whether your decorations are better than the Jones'. Take some time and make gifts, or donate some of your hard-earned money to a worthy charity on behalf of your friends and family and tell them this is your gift of the season.

Random notes regarding Christmas 2005 so far:

• Every year I get better and better at the whole being prepared thing. The time I came back from Europe at the beginnin of December I was on the top of my game, having picked up all my gifts along the way and somehow managing to stuff them in my luggage. Suffice ot say there were many soft and light gifts given that year. And a lot of chocolate, which almost got sniffed out by the drug dog at the Montreal airport. This year there is no Europe, only on-line shopping, big box stores and some cute little independent shops in downtown Charlottetown. It's no Florence, but somehow I have managed to get about 75% of my shopping done!
• I helped pick out the Christmas tree this year. Helped being the operative word here. Last time I was given full reign I paid and extra $5 for a super tall tree. Mom still claims to this day that the amount we had to saw off the bottom of the trunk was equal to $5. Hey, I never claimed to be good at guessing measurments. This year's tree is fir, as per usual, and just the right height, with very full branches. The only snag we encountered was that the entire top broke off when it got delivered. There was nowhere for our angel. Jim and some pipe clamps to the rescue! SoI guess our tree isn't 100% wood, there's a bit of metal to 'er!
• I've done most of the tree decorating to date. With Mom presently sick and Jim just recovering, I was called to lighting duty. Oh and how I strung those Christmas lights with care. And then there were the beads, and the bulbs and the candy canes. 80% there now!
• I've never worked during the Christmas season before. I must say it's a rather less-than-enjoyable experience, but it pays the bills and keeps me from thinkinga about elves and the such...
• Christmas candy. Sigh. It is SO off limits, it's not even funny. Most dissapointed to discover that Shopper's is not carrying Fazer mints this year. They are a favorite of mine and I was looking forward to smelling them through the wrapper and salivating.
• No Christmas baking...yet! I very much intend to participate in making chocolate balls and shortbread cookies, but will refrain from consuming.

Ok too tired to say or do anything else...like type