As Taliesn so eloquently put it....Just enjoy it for what it really is, fellowship with friends and family, making music, enjoying the smells and sounds of the season and overlook all the crass commecialism.

That post brought back some fond childhood memories of Mom decorating for Christmas. She would never put out anything before the first advent, (the fourth Sunday before Christmas) Each weekend more stuff would be set out until the week before Christmas. Our family enjoyed the trimmings until a week after and then it was 'all hands on deck' to gather up and store away everything until next year. She always wanted to start the New Year on a fresh note.

As I grow older I think less and less of Christmas, besides just looking forward to the gathering of the family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The commercialism has all but ruined the festive atmosphere that used to surround the holiday season. This year I hope to play some simple carols with the grandson who has been taking guitar lessons since early summer. We have already played together, he on guitar and me on dulcimer or banjo (what little I can play) and have enjoyed the music we made.