Time for Christmas Shopping!

I’m very proud to say that this year I did not wait until the last minute to do all my Christmas shopping!

It’s the day BEFORE Christmas Eve and I’m thinking about the possibility of, perhaps, getting ready to, maybe, get out there, pretty soon, and get started!

Did you notice that phrase? “Day before Christmas Eve!” I suspect many of you are impressed, some are inspired, and others have already stopped reading this post.

“LET’S GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD!!!”

 

#FeelingMotivated  #ChristmasShopping

A Night of Christmas Shopping Goes From Bad To Good

It's Monday night, December 22nd. Rachel and I are out shopping in the Orland/Tinley Pk area. There

are basically two shopping days left until Christmas Eve and we are in the area where lots and lots of stores are located.

You might be thinking, "That doesn't seem like a good idea, Dan."

If that is what you were thinking, you would be right. The traffic is terrible and it's taking three times longer to get around town than normal.

Yep, being out here tonight did not seem to be a good idea.

But then we stopped to get something to eat at a restaurant at which my nephew works. As we were finishing the meal, my nephew came over with a bag containing fresh bakery items.

Setting the bag on our table he said, "Here you go."

Chocolate chip cookies, toffee cookies and, Rachel's favorite, a chocolate chip muffin top. They were warm and fresh and gently calling our names. (Seriously, you can be a doubter if you want to but I'm pretty sure I heard the toffee cookies speaking to us. Oddly enough,they have a British accent.)

Hey, what do you know? Suddenly, being out here tonight isn't such a bad idea, after all.

Merry three-days-til Christmas, everyone!

Christmas Shopping On A Monday

Monday is my day off and I chuckled as I drove to the store to do a little Christmas shopping.  “Ha. Ha. I can get my shopping done on a Monday when everyone else is at work and the stores will be empty!”  I actually patted myself on the back while I was driving.

(By the way, if you pat yourself on the back while you’re driving keep at least one of your hands on the wheel or it’s possible that you’ll take out someone’s mail box.  …At least, that’s what I’ve heard.)

Then I got to the store… and I wasn’t laughing anymore.  Apparently, everyone—and I mean everyone—now has a day off on Monday.

I stopped patting myself on the back and stood in long lines instead.

Moral of the story?  Do your Christmas shopping on a Monday.  But make it a Monday in August.

Confession Is Good For The Soul, Right?

Confession Is Good For The Soul, Right?

Alright, I’m going to do something bold.  I’m going to do something that may seem foolhardy and ill-advised.  (I haven’t checked with my lawyers about this…oh yeah…that’s right, I don’t have lawyers.  But if I had lawyers, I wouldn’t check with them before doing this.) 

I’m going to trust that this is a safe place.  A place of grace and understanding.  I’m going to believe that this is a place where I will be loved and accepted in spite of my flaws and sins and imperfections.  So, here comes my confession….

It’s January 30^th and our Christmas tree is still up.  I know, it’s embarrassing.  I can feel my face turning red even as I type these words.  I can’t believe it’s standing there in the living room.  I’ve kept meaning to put it away.  But there it is, looking at me, saying, “Um, I’m still here, Paul Bunyan.”

It’s sort of strange that it’s still up because some of you may recall, from a story I wrote, that when we put it up, back in December, it kept falling down.  We couldn’t seem to get the thing up and now we can’t seem to get around to taking it down.  This is the tree that refuses to play by the rules.

But that’s it, my dear friends!!!  This tree is coming down and it’s going to be put away!  And I mean it!

Soon.

In fact, I hereby state that this tree will be put away before February.  I’m giving myself a firm deadline.  There’s NO WAY we will have a Christmas tree up in our living room in February.  No sir.  I stand here and proclaim in no uncertain terms—actually I’m sitting, but forget that technicality—I stand and proclaim that this Christmas tree WILL BE TAKEN DOWN AND PUT AWAY before February 1^st!

I’m not kidding.  I’m serious about this.  Consider it a done deal.  Consider it a “mission accomplished”.  The tree will be out of sight and officially put away by February 1^st.  That’s it!  I’m not messing around anymore.

…You know, it occurs to me that it could be a funny conversation-starter to have a Christmas tree up all year long.  Think about people walking into the house in June and there’s the Christmas tree with the lights sparkling.  We would laugh and I would tell them the story and then we’d laugh some more…as they inch nervously toward the door.  Man, it would be hilarious.

But, trust me on this one, by the morning…or perhaps late afternoon…of February 1^st—early evening of Feb. 1^st, at the latest—that tree will be gone.

By the way, it’s never too early to get started on your Christmas shopping, it’s only 329 days away!