Are we there yet?

Days till Christmas

I know. I know that I said that Christmas would only begin after all of October's several birthdays. 

I thought on posting only then, on the right upper side of the blog, the usual Christmas counter. But why would I wait till then to start counting the days? 

I'm not saying shopping for presents, which I began already in September (why not ?), preparing the wrapping papers and bows and all things Christamas. I mean, I am not yet Chrystmassying in full swing, it's just that why not post already a counter on my blog? What's wrong with that?

I know that a lot of people prefer to spend first the dreaded halloween and then the blessed Thanksgiving, which I think it's a nice thing, and then to turn their attention to Christmas. But I know also that there are more people like me who is already fidgiting about Christmas.

So... As I said before, I will not get in full swing about Christmas yet, that is for sure, but I will not feel bad for doing already some little things.

And those aforementioned little things are: having some presents bought already, strolling by the internet looking for some more things I will buy as more presents (big family, you know, and an immense pleasure of buying things for my girls), dreaming about wrapping papers and daring to sing Rudolph, even if, for now, only inside my mind. I don't dare to begin singing on top of my lungs yet.

And...posting the Christmas counter on the right side of my blog !!

I can't resist it. How can I know how many days till then if I don't post it now?

So, let's begin. Not yet Christmassying all day long, just counting the days.

Are we there yet?

I realized that last year my first post about Christmas was on the 7 of November, so this year I began earlier. It was called: Too early?

That because Thanksgiving was not over then, but this year I did it in October before all the other feasts. 

Autumn time !

I do like the Autumn !!

Every year I long for that blessed time when the heat goes away, people get covered instead of showing their bodies and the leaves begin to fall. The rain comes back and also the fog.

I feel like reading and watching films and series even more than on another seasons  - well, I do it as in other seasons but the difference is that now everything is even more pleaseant because of the warm and confortable covers and drinking hot chocolate and eating mint chocolates, which makes the moment even better.

Such a delightfull time.

I roam all the blogs I can to find posts about the season and that gives me such peace and the will to live and do things.

What I don't like is the creepy decorations that some people like and post in their blogs, but in the whole I like to see the housess, the filds, everything.

And this time is not only the liberation from Summer and the beginning of a good season, it's also the promise of Christmas time looming on the horizon.

So, first I have the birthdays: my nephew, then the one of my girl B, then mine and after that my uncle's.

After that it's open season for Christmas.

In that time I begin making lists: presents to buy, on top of the ones I began already buying, ( I have already two bags full) and mainly what I will buy food wise. Also non eating things.

We only decorate for Christmas on the first of December, never before, but my head is singing Rudolph immediately after the birthdays.

Oh what a beautiful time of the year this is. I truly can't stad the heat and all things summery - except the holidays, the journey to another town and the hotel and museums, gardens, etc. But the weather, the people...No, that I don't like.

But now I don't need to think about it till next year, because now it's Autumn time !! 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

So it was the time to wrap presents and then, suddenly, Christmas Eve and the Day were gone. Also Boxing Day.

How could  it be that it went so fast ?

But yes, we are now in January but Christmas Time didn't finish yet.

We will only  take the Tree and the Decorations out AFTER Epiphany. And the Nativity will stay till the 2 of February: the Presentation of The Lord Day, Candlemas.

So, don't pretend Christmas ended because it's still Christmas Time.

On the first day of Christmas,

my true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Origin and meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas Song

"Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith - a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in *writing* indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned, it could get you hanged, or shortened by a head - or hanged, drawn and quartered, a rather peculiar and ghastly punishment I'm not aware was ever practiced anywhere else."

(More at the link above.)

Plans for a New Year

 

All these motivation sentences are in my Motivation board in Pinterest.

So now get up and begin transforming your dreams in reality.

As I said last January:

You are never too old to set another Goal 

or dream another Dream

-C.S. Lewis

and

It's never too late to be what you might have been

- George Eliot

So, let's do it, let's dare to fight for that dream. Have that goal. Plan it. 

Make it Happen !

Wrapping time

 It's that time of the year again. Here I am wrapping the presents. I do like it.

I leave you here with some papers and presents.

More to come.