'Tis the Season

Here we go, folks. The season of madness is upon us. Frankly, the countdown to Christmas seems to start the day after Labor Day as retailers chomp at the bit to start their holiday playlists and hang the garlands. Officially, we are now in full swing with Black Friday "finished" and inboxes filled with the latest can't-miss offers.

I will spare you another scroogish post despite the temptation to do so. I also promised my daughter I wouldn't hang up another picture of a Christmas tree and call it good. Therefore, I will clean up my act a bit and focus on a few things that are good during this season.

Holiday foods are always a favorite. This is not the time to listen to beleaguered dietitians touting ways to stave off overeating (eating celery before going to a party, really?). We don't need to indulge until we groan in despair but there are delicacies that make rare appearances during this season and one must take advantage of such goodness. Fancy cookies, this and thats covered in almond bark or chocolate, peppermint ice cream and a host of traditional family dishes lead the pack for indulging. January will arrive soon enough and we need to be prepared.

Traditions are family specific and can be enjoyed for many years. A pot of wild rice soup on Christmas eve is one of our rituals. The earthy smell of mushrooms mixed with wild rice and aromatic veggies is a welcome fragrance when returning home from a Christmas eve service. Adding a cup of cream to the broth amps up the taste-o-meter, for sure. After the last drop is slurped and the dishes are loaded in the dishwasher, gifts are exchanged. My packages are wrapped in last year's post-season discounted paper (who doesn't love blue penguins?) and sans bows. Spending money on something that will be trashed almost instantly is not in my DNA.

Christmas lights are charming when used correctly. Simple strings of white lights add a soft glow to whatever they are adorning. Old fashioned Christmas bulbs give a nostalgic pop to a tree or window frame. That being said, less is more. The gaudy glow of blow-up Santas and the frenetic flashing of over zealous decorating is a lesson in excess. And for the love of Pete, Christmas lights should be taken down before Valentine's day.

It goes without saying that holidays are about families. Over the years, my family gatherings have morphed from large gatherings with three generations mingling, eating, laughing and playing games to smaller groups with more subdued pursuits. The sign of a healthy family is being able to roll with the circumstances. We have enough pressure in our daily doings without adding holiday perfectionism to the list. Enjoy the people who you are with and let the unreasonable demands go.

I hope your holiday season is going well so far. Eat some favorite goodies. Have coffee with a friend. Read a good book. Bundle up and take a walk. Hang a string of lights if you wish. And stay focused on what is important.

 

Awareness

It seems that any given day, week or month has been given fill-in-the-blank awareness status. There are the big extravaganzas such as Great American Smokeout Day on November 16, Wear Red Day on February 3 and, lest we forget, Colorectal Awareness Month in March (book your roto rooter exam early). Lesser known events are World Rabies Day on September 8 (a.k.a. Know Your Skunk Day) and Fungal Disease Awareness week in August (not touching that one). My land locked friends can probably pass on Rip Current Awareness week in June and Tsunami Preparedness week in March. October has a couple of big ones, National Check Your Meds day and National Medical Librarians month (do they handle particularly heavy books?). My personal favorite is Don't Fry Day on May 26. I've marked that one on next year's calendar.

I do not know the legalities that result in an awareness status for certain causes. I suspect it has something to do with powerful people and politics, neither of which I am particularly interested in. I would suggest, however, that we each have the right to declare our own days of distinction if we so desire. Here are a few of mine.

1) National Couch Potato week--Feel free to pick any month for this celebration. Heck, I say every week should be sprinkled with plenty of couch time, especially if a good book and coffee are involved. I am not ashamed to say that I love my couch more than my sneakers. And couch time is cheaper than trips to Belize or the Holy Land. We can wear our Naugahyde ribbons with pride and boldly sit when we need a break. Naysayers, look away.

2) National No Christmas Music Allowed in Retail Centers Month(s)--The weekend after Halloween, a store I frequent was playing a country western track of Christmas music while I was trying to shop. I found it grating to the nerves. It should be illegal to blare Christmas music before Thanksgiving. It's bad enough the Christmas candy is nestled next to the ghost and goblin stuff in mid-October. Give us a few more weeks of neutrality before the holiday insanity begins.

3) International Reformation Day--This is a real one folks. It commemorates the day Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of his local church in protest of certain religious practices (500 years ago, in case you are wondering). My siblings and I were banned from trick or treating and in its stead we were required to attend a Reformation Rally. The guest speaker was usually a man of theological distinction from a nearby college. It was a hard sell when you are a kid. Hundreds of people in a stuffy gymnasium and not a candy wrapper in sight. Times have changed and many little reformers are now found going door to door with the rest of the tricksters. Sorry, Martin.

4) National Chuck It Day--I think everyone should devote at least one day a year to tossing out things that have lost their efficacy. If you are a hoarder, grab a baggie and do the best you can to fill it up and dump it or donate it to Goodwill. If you are a little more like me, use a hefty garbage bag and have at it. Old cards, dusty knick-knacks, shabby pillowcases and unused toys are prime candidates. At the very least, a day such as this would force us to evaluate our earthly treasures. Don't let the maintenance of stuff pull you away from what really counts in life.

Find a way to enjoy every day and if you need to make a special proclamation to your family for a certain celebration, go for it. In the meantime, don't forget to grease up with a little extra lotion this month. November is National Healthy Skin month.