Tis the season to be jolly....

Let me start off by saying that Christmas, by far is my favorite holiday. The is no other time of year than can hold a candle to it.

I love every aspect of this wonderful holiday season. The sights, smells, and sounds delight the senses.

Despite the bitter cold we experience where I live,I enjoy the crispness of the air, the crunch of freshly fallen snow underfoot, and the icicles glistening like diamonds in the morning sunlight.

Wood smoke wafts on the air, children laugh and screech as snowballs fly, snowmen are laboriously and lovingly built, and sleds race down hills.

Homes are filled with the smells of fresh pine, ginger bread, cookies, turkey or ham, and pumpkin pie.

Nothing compares to sitting in front of a toasty fire in your flannel jammies, sipping steaming mugs of hot cocoa topped with floating clouds of whipped cream or pillows of slowly melting marshmallows.

Lights and garland adorn the main street and it's shops that could rival Vegas. Thousands bundle up and stand in the frigid cold for the annual Holiday parade.

Street after street, houses are lit up a la National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

Church bells ring, calling their parishioners to midnight services.

I love the exhilarating rush of fighting the crowds the find the "perfect" gift for each person on my list.

The excitement, joy, and fun of the season dampen my sorrows temporarily, filling me with a sense of peace and hope for a better tomorrow. Human kindness abounds, in all it's glory.

Best of all, who can possibly forget the music? From the canned music piped through department store speakers, to the beauty of watching The Nutcracker live on stage. I have never seen The Nutcracker performed and would love to experience that pleasure but there is actually ONE thing I would love to see even more so. My greatest Christmas wish ever is to see the Tans-Siberian Orchestra perform at Christmastime. The power and passion of their music and the dazzling light show that accompanies it speaks to my soul.

check this out, it is so cool!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkjX9pdhQU4&feature=related

Don't get me wrong, I love the traditional carols and hymns but being raised by a rock musician...welll......lets just say there is a reason why Metallica is one of my favorite groups.

Here's wishing all my readers a wonderful holiday season this year no matter what religion you practice may it bring you love, peace, joy, and warm moments with good friends and family.
stop by sometime and I'll have a a nice steaming cup of cocoa waiting just for you!