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 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?
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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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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Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, and I’ve never seen the Chicago River dyed green.
For the two years I lived in Chicago, I was never able to make it. The first year, we were traveling in Europe. (I think it was okay to pass for that one.) The second year–last year–Will was working as usual. One of these days, I’m going to make it to see the river dyed green. Another place on my list to visit during the St. Patty’s holiday is Savannah, Georgia. I’ve heard they celebrate it almost as well as they do in Chicago. Finally, I want to see a St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Dublin–the country where it all began. But the Irish don’t celebrate it the same way that we Americans do. Yes, they have the parades, festivals, and what have you. But to the Irish–and I’m descended from Irish heritage–it is a sacred religious holiday known as Lá ’le Pádraig. (That’s Celtic, in case you were wondering.) It is such an important holiday that it’s considered both a national and bank holiday. Pretty cool, huh?
Anyway, I think it would be a ton of fun to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in a traditional way. I haven’t had a chance to do that just yet.
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Image via Wikipedia
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Now, on to your regularly scheduled programming…
I’m starting to think I should steal Ben’s blog title. Today’s pet peeve: adults who haven’t left high school.
I was never popular in high school. To tell you the truth, I never really wanted to be. Even today, I’d still rather stay home and read a book than go to a movie theater with the crowds. Then there are those who really only wanted to be popular but got over that obsession by college. College brought other priorities and responsibilities. And then there are those who didn’t. This last group is the group I’m talking about. I have absolutely zero desire to go to my 10-year high school reunion. This is why. Nothing ever changed for these people. They didn’t move on, instead choosing the continuation of cliques and popularity contests.
I thought that as an adult, those cliques would vanish. They haven’t. In fact, some of them have gotten worse. Or maybe I’m the problem, putting off some kind of vibe that says, “Stay away.” I hope not. Whatever the case, I’ve always preferred to have a few close friends rather than a plethora of shallow “friendships” that don’t mean much. Part of that could also be my artistic tendencies. In high school, I was a theatre geek who turned into a writing geek. On top of that, I was a nerd.
Come to think of it, I really didn’t stand a chance, did I?
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Over at PetPeeving.com, my co-worker was kind enough to feature our new MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com gift vouchers on his blog this week. They’d make excellent stocking stuffers this year!
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