IT'S BEGINNING TO SMELL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS . . .

Because it's also ugly sweater season.

All the smiley, happy faces. It's the only time of year people pretend to be polite to one another in public.

Whistling Christmas carols when it's actually appropriate. I get strange looks in June.

I love that it is easy to find speculaas in stores at this time of year. And chicken bone candies. And peppermint hot chocolate.

There's a theme there

Those aren't actually so bad.... compared to the possibilities.

I still, many years later, remember a guy who used to walk the ocean frontage in Venice, CA while whistling classical music, early in the day, not one of the more famed performers there who did performing for the crowds, just a guy. I suppose he was a ucla music student or teacher of the time. One of life's big pleasures to hear him. It never occurred to me to interrupt to ask/talk.

I never could whistle, which I could list among my lifetime failures.

We've temperatures at about 17°C since a couple of days, nights with 10°C. It's more spring than December - a neighbour tried to get some Christmas in his garden ...

Bah . . . Humbug!

"Are there no prisons?"
"Plenty of prisons..."
"And the Union workhouses." demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"Both very busy, sir..."
"Those who are badly off must go there."
"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."
"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

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It has been so warm here, that the population of rabbits is seriously threatened. They've turned white in anticipation of the season, but the landscape has not changed--the owls, and hawks, and lynxes and foxes are having a field day.

I love goofy Christmas song lyrics.

My favorite is from "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold

How about bringing him a blanket?!

Don't you know, George, these famous Latin Christmas carols?
In dulci iubilo, ubi est stratum?

And the other one:
Adeste, fideles, cum strata!

But with silver and gold, he can buy a Manhattan condo as well as shop for a Ralph Lauren jacket at Bergdorf's.

There is NOTHING good about the Star Wars Christmas Special. [PERIOD!]