Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find You?

Blogging from Bruce
December 7, 2008

Vonda Keon

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, around my house, in case anyone has missed it. Scott flipped the switch on Thanksgiving night and our Christmas Season officially began. The lights are blinking in sync to the music, which is a miracle in itself because while he is very computer savvy, he isn’t really musically inclined. While I am musically inclined, Computer illiterate is a better description of my computing abilities. So each time we watch the lights and listen to the music that it goes with, we are pleasantly surprised when it works.


There are times when we both just look at each other and go WOW! And then there are times we scratch our heads and wonder just what we were thinking. I just love to see the lights going on and off in time with the different music parts. My favorite thing Scott has created for us is the ‘leaping’ arch lights. Last year we had one. This year there are two. Next year, I want a whole yard full to go along with the trees. We still haven’t convinced Mom to let us use her lighted deer as part of the show. I think it would be so cool to add her trees and deer to the action. The lights are on each night from 5pm until 10:30. All we ask is that you put your parking lights on and don’t block the road or our neighbors’ driveways.


We have placed a red barrel at the end of our driveway for donations to the food pantry. Any canned foods or coffee would be greatly appreciated. The Food Pantry will be handing out its Christmas boxes on Saturday December 20th so we are gathering food fast and furiously now.


Christmas seems to get harder and harder for me each year. I don’t like getting caught up in the mind set of ‘gotta buy this and that and the other’. Years ago, I worked in a large department store chain and I had to start Christmas in September. The last year that I worked for that company, I had to decorate 72 trees throughout the store. Then the ‘Pre-Christmas sale in October happened AND black Friday; after undecorating many of the trees to sell the ornaments and stings of lights and listening to the bickering and rudeness of customers, I lost all of my Christmas spirit. I did not put up a tree in my home for several years. The year Scott and I married was when I started decorating again.


The decorating pendulum has swung the other direction now. I never take down my tree now. Yep. I admit it. My tree stays up and decorated year round. I got the idea from my friend Betty in Tupelo. Her tree is huge and after several years of taking it down and storing it and then pulling it out and restringing the lights and putting all the ornaments back on it, her husband got her a large folding screen and that magnificent tree resides behind that screen until Thanksgiving when she uncovers it and plugs it in.


My tree is not as large as Betty’s tree but it sits in the corner and has a screen in front of it. This year I picked out a new color scheme and Ariel put white lights on it and my new ornaments. She packed the ornaments that were special to her and Erin and separated them so that one day they can decorate their own trees with their first ornaments.

Christmas changes for us as we grow older. I would rather just go and buy what I really like instead of having to hint around for something and hope to goodness that someone will pick up on the hint and get the right size or right color or right book. My husband would rather order some component for his every expanding light display hobby. That stuff goes on sale in June so he likes his ‘Christmas’ gift in the summer time.
The daughters don’t really like to be surprised any longer and like to choose what they really need. Erin needed a new coat this year so we went coat hunting and found what she wanted and she wore it out of the store.


I love to watch all my favorite Christmas movies, Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite. I have added the Tim Allen Santa Clause movies to my collection. Even the Grinch has its place. When little Cindy Lou Who starts singing “where are you Christmas, why can’t I find you?” I start tearing up. (And if you hear Faith Hill sing it you will cry!) Christmas is not about the presents. It’s about the birth of Christ and HIS message of hope. It’s about being kind to your fellow man. It’s about lending a helping hand to someone that needs it. It’s about giving a hug to someone or smiling when we don’t feel like it. It’s about love. Unconditional love.

“Christmas is here everywhere….Christmas is here if you care
If there is love in your heart and your mind, you will feel like Christmas all the time.
I feel you ChristmasI know I’ve found youYou never fade awayThe joy of ChristmasStays here in silenceFills each and every heart with love.”