This the season...

The days are full of busy things, laundry, shuffling kids around and homework assignments (the kids and mine.) Not to much going on. I like it that way.

I love the fall and I'm excited about Thanksgiving. It's my favorite of all the holidays. I love to have a large crowd of friends and strangers and the food that we seem to have only during this season. I love the cool chill in the air and having a fire in the fire place. I love hot cider, changing leaves, pumpkins, apples and cornstalks.

For as much as I love Thanksgiving, I'm a Grinch because I don't like most of what goes into Christmas. I hate the running around, decorating, gift buying under pressure. What I do enjoy about Christmas are parties, seeing friends, wrapping the gifts I hate to buy (how's that for warped), baking, writing and receiving greetings near and far, and the occasional snowflake that might fall near Christmas (we don't get much snow here), the spirit of Christmas and my favorite thing about it is our new family Christmas tradition of brunch and no hustling, shuffling and entertaining on Christmas day. Several years ago I decided to have my kids favorite meal for Christmas, we don't have any company. That way I'm not running around straightening the house, preparing food and not enjoying the day. My boys may be spread across the nation one day and may never be home all together again for a holiday. So, for the few short years they are under our roof I cherish our quiet Christmas.