There are a couple of holiday movies that make me smile every year. I can watch them on endless loops because, really, who gets tired of holiday movies? Christmas music is another story. Christmas music should never, ever start until after Thanksgiving is over. Never. If it does, I’m way over it by the time Christmas rolls around. So with that in mind, here are some clips from some of my favorite Christmastime movies. Enjoy!
Elf
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The Holiday
Image via WikipediaI turn into a Grinch this time of year. So…I’m apologizing for my absence from the blog. The traffic, the “gimme gimmes,” the general commercialization of Christmas…it all sends me into hiding. I’ve been hiding from social media, from my blog, even from my (*gasp*) writing. Our offices at work are right across from a large mall, and there’s an added 10-15 minutes to my commute time each evening now, which only adds to my holiday frustration. As a society in general, I feel we’ve forgotten what Christmas is really all about, and it saddens me. It makes me feel as though all the joy has been sucked out of Christmas.
I hope life will return to semi-normal after the holidays. And since Will’s final tuition payment arrived in my inbox yesterday, I (hopefully) won’t feel broke anymore! We haven’t had debt since July 2007, but making those tuition payments for the past two years has felt like debt hanging over our heads. We’ve cash flowed every bit of it, and with multiple visits from Murphy, I am so over college tuition.
Merry Christmas (bah humbug)! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. And if you don’t hear from me, I’ll be back in the New Year…writing.
Image via WikipediaIt’s the time of year when we’re all expected to meet familial obligations, attend parties, and generally make merriment. Pardon me while I shudder in horror.
You see, I’m the introvert who’d much rather be at home reading a book than interacting with people at a party. I prefer a small group of friends to a large group of acquaintances. This time of year—Christmas and New Year’s—is misery for me. I’ve already been to two Christmas parties this year, and I’m politely bowing out of the rest. In fact, I doubt I’ll attend any New Year’s celebrations. Losing myself in a book and a glass of Riesling is much more preferable than chitchatting the evening away with people I barely know.
I have a husband who understands my tendencies to withdraw even though he’s a social butterfly. Will loves to mingle and meet new people and spend his time among friends. And while I can tolerate it to a degree, in the social interactivity department, we’re like night and day. Opposites attract, and in this case, we couldn’t be more opposite. I need him to draw me out because if it weren’t for him, I’d be ensconced in my writing room living in my head with my book characters, only coming out for the occasional bit of sustenance. (Ever heard of the crazy cat lady?)
This is the reason for the lack of blog posts right now. I’ve had a little too much social interaction for my liking, and I’ve withdrawn into books. In fact, I’ve read three books in a week, which is unusual for me. I typically read about a book a week, and the rest of my time is spent writing. Strangely, I’m devouring books. I think it’s because I need an escape from everything else. This coming weekend, Will and I will see my family, and I won’t speak to anyone else for a day or two. Odd? Maybe. But my batteries will be recharged for the coming year.
Image via Wikipedia
It’s no secret that Christmas isn’t my favorite holiday. Wait, don’t get me wrong. I like Christmas just fine. I love that we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus. But what trips me up—and what I don’t love—is the way our Western values have turned it into a buying free-for-all.
I’m all about a good deal. Hey, I love a good deal. But when someone gets trampled to death when the doors open at Target on Black Friday, what does that say about us? All for saving $50 on a laptop? Every year, my disgust with it grows a little bit more.
I like Thanksgiving. In fact, if I had to choose a favorite, I’d say Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There’s no obligation to go on a frenzied buying spree, no rushed last-minute shopping, and no long lists of wants from everyone you’re close to. Instead, you make a delicious meal, gather family and friends around you, and you give thanks for all of the blessings you already have in your life. It’s what Christmas used to be about.
So this is why I have no trouble admitting I’m a little bit of a Grinch this time of year. I don’t look forward to the exhausting travel, stringing lights, or putting up the tree. The shopping is more of an obligation than fun. I want to give gifts because I want to give them…not because I’m expected to. I want to celebrate the birth of Jesus, not the birth of the online shopping season and Santa Claus. Part of my lack of excitement probably comes from not having children. The older I get, the harder it is to get excited about it. The presents are really fun for kids, and their joy is part of what makes the season magical. Still, that isn’t the only problem.
Call me old-fashioned, but Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.
Image via WikipediaThanksgiving is over, so it’s back to work for me in a lot of ways. Not only are we busy at work, but I’m busy at home writing my next novel and figuring out where I can query The Stolen Lady. But as we swing into the holiday season, it’s also important to take a moment to appreciate this time of year. The weather is finally cooling down, in some areas of the country we have snow, and twinkling lights are strung over homes and yards. (In fact, some people really get into the holiday spirit, and their houses slightly resemble that of the Griswolds.) This is the last day of November. Take a moment to reflect on your year. What have you accomplished? What can you be proud of in 2010? What differences have you made in someone’s life?
Image via WikipediaMatthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Will and I had an interesting conversation in the car last night. We’re having discussions about things we need to do around our house, the different car we want to buy, and the travel we want to do. In other words, we were talking about our dreams however big or small they might be.
As the conversation ebbed and flowed, I came to a realization: I value the substance of memories far more than I value things. What does that mean?
It means that when I think about driving a car or taking a trip to Ireland, Ireland nudges the car out of the way. Subconsciously, I already knew this because the trip is like a siren call whereas the car is merely a way to get from Point A to Point B. When I’m 85 years old, will I remember the car I drove at 30? Nope. Not a chance. But will I remember the magical moments spent looking out over the Atlantic Ocean from the cliffs of the Dingle Peninsula? You betcha.
I place far more value on sentimental moments than something of substance which can easily be thrown away after some use. I’ve never forgotten a vacation, but I’ve long forgotten many Christmas gifts that could be defined as merely “stuff.” I hardly bat an eye at spending $5,000 on a European vacation, but spending $15,000 on a newer car causes me to pause for a moment. A car truly isn’t where my heart is.
Question: Where do you place the most value in your life?
I think this sums up Christmas for most everyone I know.
While I enjoyed it, I’m glad it’s passed.
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This past weekend, I managed to write just over 2,000 words. Not bad, right? I’ve also managed to write about another 1,500 this week. That brings me to 73,000 words. The goal for my novel is a minimum of 85,000. I am sooooo close. And you know what? It scares me to death. I’m that much closer to doing revisions, rewrites, and queries. Yikes!
In other news, our company Christmas party was held this past Saturday, and it was–as usual–fantastic. In fact, Lampo Christmas parties have become rather legendary. I have to say I understand why. The evening was full of glittery dresses, delicious food, hilarious presentations, and generous gifts.
I’m also starting to think about our 2010 vacation. We’re leaning toward the Florida Keys. I’ve never spent any time in Florida, so advice is welcome.
Because I’m getting so close to finishing my novel, I’m beginning to get questions about whether or not I intend to publish, will I celebrate, etc. The answer? Yes to all of it! I’ve worked so hard, and if I can publish this work of mine, I absolutely will. Ten years ago, I submitted queries and received positive responses. With ten years of life experience on me, I’m hoping I can pull it off again. In fact, I know I can. I have also been asked if I will use a pen name. Yes again. Part of my reasoning is privacy: for my family, for my friends, and for my coworkers. But I’ll admit part of it is also vanity; my married name just isn’t that interesting or unique. While my celebrity value won’t be as high (hahaha), I still want to afford those around me a bit of protection. Silly? Maybe. But I’m careful like that.
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It’s that time of year again…you know. The Christmas movies start running on the networks in droves. This week, AMC is running National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for five straight nights. The exploits and one-liners from Cousin Eddie never fail to make me giggle. And Clark’s tirade toward the end of the movie when he doesn’t get his Christmas bonus? Priceless. I have fits of laughter. It’s the only Christmas movie we own on DVD. We watch it every year without fail.
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Christmas Vacation.
And this time of year, I compare everything to the Griswolds–especially Christmas lights. It amuses me that people turn decorating for Christmas into one gigantic competition. It’s hard not to get caught up in it, but I laughed this past weekend when our neighbors were setting up their lights. They have everything from the Nativity to Santa Claus in their front yard. It’s our own personal Griswold family.
I caught Will mentioning to his brother that maybe next year we can have everyone at our house to celebrate. Heh. I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. Remember that scene in Christmas Vacation when the arriving family members ring the doorbell and they’re already fighting? Yeah. That’s our family. As Ellen says to Audrey in the kitchen, “I don’t know what to say, except it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.” I’m envisioning Cousin Eddie in my living room. *shudder*
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Image via Wikipedia
Every year, I see the Christmas decorations coming out in the stores just the teensiest bit earlier. And every year, I cringe when I see Christmas trees mixed with Labor Day–okay, Halloween–decorations.
Bah humbug!
I’m not a Scrooge. Really, I’m not. I like Christmas. I like what it represents, I love the celebration of Christ, and I love the spirit of giving. But what I really, absolutely hate is this attitude of “Gimme, gimme, gimme!” that starts right after Labor Day and continues until Christmas Day has passed. I decided a long time ago that my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It still is. There are no expectations other than the entire family showing up to share a beautiful meal and giving thanks for the blessings in our lives. To me, that concept should carry over into Christmas.
Unfortunately, I think many Americans have lost that attitude by the time Black Friday rolls around the day after Thanksgiving. Last year, a Wal-Mart employee was even trampled to death opening the doors for early morning bargain hunters. What sort of world is it we live in when a man is trampled to death and people are still racing through the store to get their deals on stuff?
No wonder I sound like a Scrooge this time of year.
And another thing: can we hold off on the Christmas music until after Thanksgiving is over? I’d really like to enjoy the music for the season instead of being ready to turn it off by the middle of December.
Thanks.
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