MAYBE THE WINTER solstice is responsible for it.
It is a natural law of some kind — one that can’t be broken.
Christmas has a way of getting here at warp speed.
Other special holidays don’t do this.
The day after Thanksgiving, you know you have an entire month to get ready for the year’s big day.
There’s plenty of time to do everything you want to do.
Almost without you realizing it, December’s deadline has arrived.
How can an entire month slip away in just a day or two? And it does this every year.
Somehow everything (that’s really important) usually manages to get done.
Then, in a short time we will be facing a winter let-down.
Handle it with a walk around the neighborhood or to a favorite more distant spot.
A solitary walk can be enjoyable, but a walk with a family member, a good friend or several companions is enjoyed by many of us at this time of the year.
You can almost feel your before-Christmas-energy returning.
There are often small special moments when you see or experience something beautiful or interesting.
Birds are frequently the reason for the moment.
When there is a sudden rapid chirping coming from the cover of nearby bushes or a thicket, it suggests that something unexpected is about to happen.
Indignant juncos and chickadees are encouraging everyone within hearing distance to, “run for cover.”
A hunting hawk always adds excitement to a walk.
After what is often a very brisk walk or a wet and windy one might be a good time to get into one of the gifts you received for Christmas.
New feeders should be put to use.
A location must be decided on and they need filling.
Hopefully, some ready-to-use food was part of the gift.
New books, whether they are bird books or others you will enjoy are popular in my family.
A good book and a warm drink are just what we like after a winter walk.
This combination is great to settle in as the early dark descends.
Christmas is one of my family’s greatest memory-making events.
When I think back throughout the years, I realize that some of the anticipation of the holidays is wondering what new memories will be created this December.
I have a lot of Decembers to review.
Trying to remember all of them is a challenge, but it’s an interesting trip back in time.
Not every memory is a happy one but most of them are.
This year, the happy event came early.
Visiting the first house my niece and her husband bought during the holidays will be a happy memory for years to come.
Enjoying Christmas events on the other side of the state, with this favorite couple, gave the season an early start.
Spokane in December could become a new tradition for some of us.
Christmas is coming and I’m as ready as I am every year.
There’s some big plans for the New Year, too.
I hope you are also looking forward to making some good memories.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
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Joan Carson’s column appears every Sunday. Contact her at P.O. Box 532, Poulsbo, WA 98370, with a self-addressed, stamped envelope for a reply. Email: joanpcarson@comcast.net.
