The Holidays have only just begun

Ok, this is another attempt on the part of JOY to SWEAR allegiance to an idea: So here it goes-

I think it is rediculous and sad that the Holiday Feelin comes so quickly and goes so abruptly when, especially in the midwest, Winter has only juuuuuuust begun.

Lest you get the wrong idea, lest you think I am pitching some new-agey bit about Over Commercialism, etc etc etc, hear me out! I am doing no such thing! Despite being a simple living advocate and an aetheist and house poor, I ADORE every corny, genuine, real, phony,plastic metal glass and wood, old, new traditional contemporary and anything else you could possibly name about THE HOLIDAYS.

So, now that you know that about me, let me start my idea, my ideal, my failed plan that I ressurect each new year:

Let's celebrate Winter!

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In a pagan solstice kinda way, in a christmas kinda way, in an Old Navy ad campaign kinda way, in a Norman Rockwell kinda way, in a crushed-peppermint in everything we bake kinda way, why in the WORLD doesnt this happen?

As a child, and this is not to "dis" my family in any way, my mom and aunts read this blog--- but yet I must tell ya, it was made darn clear that Christmas is a general pain-train, and we had better not so much as whisper a note of Rudolph before Thanksgivng night, nor after 12:01 am the 26th of December. No invoking the name of Santa or Frosty, lets get this damn tree down so we can vacuum. We were left up north at my Grandma's so my mom could clean and then when we got home, it was O V E R, thank goodness and good riddance was definately the prevailing sentiment. You had your Christmas "bit" and now our lives can ressume. Lets all complain about the traffic and please get these cookies outta my face so I can go on a diet for spring.

I thought it was incredible and I vowed in my childish mind that I would never do that when I was big, etc. I swore I would jam Jingle Bells in March and eat green and red sprinkle cookies year round, gosh darn it.

Well.....

some of those things I really really can say that Steve and I have been incredibly different than our parents were. We have tried to show great sensitivity and immense caution and gentle ease in how we handle the days and weeks after Christmas and New Years'. It is a family decision to part with our tree, we often let some little strands of lights go into someones bedroom for a spell...but I want to do more!

So this is what I propose:

The wearing of the merry and cheery snowflake sweaters well into April, as is when the snow-flakes fly around here, January through April and into the first week of May.

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The baking and exchanging of wonderfully fattening butter and cinnamon based baked goods made while listening to warm and wonderful 1940's crooners singing gorgeously while we enjoy the Sam Adams Holiday Collection and/or mulled wines. With friends. With chocolates. With rosy cheeks. With the snowflake sweaters on.

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Putting greenery on the grills of our cars. Fabulous!

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White or blue stringed lights as a January 1st tradition. In the house. All denominations and faiths. Optional white, silver and blue glass ornaments and other icy-looking adornments.

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Paper snowflakes taped up in windows. Not only for families with kids, these suckers are hard to make and quite gorgeous.

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Going to the mall still! With friends, dress up nicely, bustle about with lists and budgets---buy stuff for summer birthdays or mothers day or uncle John. Buy stuff for your poor friends whose birthdays are in January or February and who feel like some kind of post-holiday pains in the butt---its not their faults! Get perfume samples to tuck in your mittens! Drink a 4 dollar coffee just to warm your hands! Buy a new snowflake sweater on clearance! While your at it throw in some matching snowflake mittens and peppermint chapstick...your gonna need it for the next 4 months! Catch the astonishing sales and help the economy.

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Wearing of vanilla, butterscotch, cocoa and cinnamon based perfumes and lotions. Boys and girls both. Be yummy and you might get cozy quicker than smelling like bounce and right guard.

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Have decorative snowflake, snowman, or sleigh-ride miniature soaps for decor around the house!

*Go sledding

*Make cocoa in an actual pan

*Go ice skating

*Learn to snowboard

*Have cinnamon-sugar on the dinner table as tho' it were salt or pepper

*Watch football every second in January so you can care about the superbowl

*Get outside! Just walk out the damn door at 7pm and look at the sparkly snow in the streetlights.

*GO for the aforementioned walk for just 30 minutes and come in to your blue and white lights and your peppermint brownies and snowflake decorative soaps and you will really truly feel that The Holidays Have Only Just Begun.

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I swear I am gonna do this. Please join me and spread the word! An end to depression, and end to panic, and end to meaningless emptyness and pining for "spring".

Its gonna be awesome.

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