Bah!

Halloween means I am another year older, that autumn is here and winter and The Holidays that come with it are right around the proverbial corner.

I love the idea of dressing up and going Boo! I don't care for the reality of handing out candy. I wanted to carve a pumpkin but it's not the same when you don't have anyone to throw the pumpkin guts at.

I like Thanksgiving because all that is really required is that you mind your manners while visting with the family and try to not get any food on your clothes.

Christmas? I'd like to boycott Christmas. The gift part of it anyway. I enjoy spending time with my family (all three or so sides of it) and I look forward to getting a day off work so that I can spend time with them. What I have a problem with is the commercialism of Christmas. I despise trying to think of and buy gifts for people because the calendar and the marketing gurus have said that if I don't, I'm a bad kid. I'm not a bad kid; I'm a kid of an average height with an occasional need for an attitude adjustment (short and grumpy kid has been taken).

I'd rather show up for Christmas with a pie or cake that Fry's made from scratch and play boggle or poker or stand around the wood stove and just be with my family. No expectations of gifts, no worries if they like what they've received or if enough has been spent to show that you love your family. Just spend TIME making memories.