'Tis the Season

Oh, ‘tis the season to be jolly! At long last, the Christmas spirit has overcome me. I no longer feel resentful when I hear the Christmas jingles piped into my shopping experience. Not only do I catch myself singing along or whistling, but I’ve also been doing the Holiday Shuffle. This may consist of waltzing down the aisle at Target…1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3…or a bit of soft shoe,tapping tennis shoes while pushing my cart in the grocery store. Bring it on! I’m ready for the holiday cheer.

Perhaps the change in my mood has something to do with that first downed bottle of eggnog this season. Oh, that creamy, dreamy nectar of the gods, which blesses our grocery stores once a year...I cannot resist it…it calls my name. I must buy my very own bottle or carton at the beginning of each Christmas holiday. When my son was still living at home, we each had our own personal eggnog cartons - his was leaded, mine was unleaded. Surprisingly, his always seemed to last longer. Mine rarely lasted a full day. This year was no different. That first bottle of the season was gulped down with a gusto I can only compare to the first beer of the summer (back in my drinking days).

Perhaps it’s the onslaught of Christmas movies bombarding the TV screen that has me in the mood. My sister, Cameron, sent me a text-message the other day, reminding me that my favorite Christmas movie classic, “White Christmas”, was airing on television that night. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, whose waistline measured a mere 21 inches, headlined in the film. The music takes me back to warm memories of singing and dancing to the song, “Sisters”, with my sister.

Or, maybe it’s our delightful trip to Wimberley Market Days today that has me whistling “Jingle Bell Rock”. The Hill Country’s oldest and largest outdoor market sported over 470 vendor booths displaying everything under the sun, including antiques, jewelry, art, toys and more. Everywhere we turned there was turquoise, turquoise and more turquoise. It is the Year of the Turquoise!


It was a perfect, sunny, 60-degree day, and we were greeted everywhere to good ol’ friendly Texas hospitality. All the parking lots and food concessions were sponsored by the Wimberley Lions Club, with 100% of all proceeds going to charity and scholarships. We made our own donation with two orders of scrumptious fried catfish and crinkle-cut French fries before heading back to Austin.

And, for those of you searching for that perfect stocking stuffer, I recommend the Oxo Good Grips Soap Dispensing Palm Brush for $5.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond. No kitchen should be without one.


“Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space.” –Dave Barry

“Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'.” –Bing Crosby

Share Your Blessings, Y’all!

Ahead of Our Time

The other day, I was shopping in Sports Authority, when I noticed I was humming along to a Christmas song. I immediately stopped. Christmas?! For Pete’s sake, we were over two weeks away from Thanksgiving, much less Christmas! Annoyed, I located a salesperson and said, “You are playing Christmas music?” The young man replied apologetically, “Yes, I’m afraid we are.” “That’s just wrong!” I exclaimed. He said, “I know it, and I have to listen to it all day long.” Poor fella.

On the drive back from West Texas, I noticed that many towns were already displaying their Christmas decorations and several houses were donning their Christmas lights. Now as far back as I can remember, you just didn’t put up Christmas decorations and lights until after Thanksgiving. Something just isn’t right here.

I think there’s a conspiracy going on. After the financial meltdown in September, Best Buy Co. said that "seismic" changes in consumer behavior have created "the most difficult climate" it has ever seen. JC Penney reported weak third quarter earnings and has lowered its fourth quarter earnings estimate. Starbucks profits are less than half of what they earned in 2007. The coffee giant has been hit hard by the worst economic downturn in nearly a generation as consumers cling to their dollars even more tightly than analysts had expected. And, who can blame them?


I love Starbucks hot chocolate, and they recently came out with their Signature Hot Chocolate, which is a distinctly rich, European-style hot chocolate made with Starbucks’ blend of four different cocoas. But, at $4.00 a pop, including tax, for a large cup of hot chocolate, I could go broke. Heck, I am broke! So, I, like many other consumers, have had to cut back on this fancy luxury.

What does all this mean? It means we are beginning to hear Christmas music in all the department stores much earlier than before. Even my bank has decorated the lobby with its Christmas tree and ornaments. The lobby smells like pumpkin spice and Christmas carols are piped in through the sound system. Retailers are conspiring to influence consumers to part with our hard-earned dollars by getting us in the holiday shopping mood earlier this year.

Shame on them! I know times are tough, but Thanksgiving is a very important holiday and should not be upstaged by Christmas. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – a time to reflect on the blessings I have received throughout the year and a time when my entire, extended family gathers together at the Ranch. My parents, son, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brother, nieces, nephews and more all join together for a delicious meal and fellowship.

The food at Thanksgiving on the Double M Ranch is not to be missed! Mom always makes the turkey and her infamous dressing, topped with a big ladle of giblet gravy. Aunt Mary Lou brings ham and rolls. Cousin Laketha always cooks her delicious sweet potatoes, and I like to make a couple of pies. Since the Thanksgiving meal is usually not eaten until mid-afternoon, my sister, Cameron, always provides a salmon loaf as an appetizer. There are mashed potatoes, cream peas, jello salad (my favorite) and a green salad. Sometimes, someone will bring asparagus, tamales, chocolate sheet cake or apricot half-moon pies. Thanksgiving at the Ranch is truly a feast of plenty. Nobody leaves hungry.


After the meal, the menfolk usually watch the Dallas Cowboys’ football game, while the children play softball outside. Meanwhile, the women take turns cleaning the kitchen, cackling and telling funny stories. By late afternoon, the relatives begin to disperse. At last, it’s naptime on the Double M Ranch.


I hope you and your family will relish in the blessings of this Thanksgiving and focus on the family. Don’t let the cheap, glitzy Christmas gimmicks influence you at the store this year. Take a stand, and keep your Christmas dollars in your pocket until after Thanksgiving!

Be Thankful, Y’all!