I have so loved reading your favorite Christmasy things from my 300th post: Favorite Things Giveaway! It’s really started to “stir the mood”, even though it’s only mid-November. There was a time when I was “militant” about not launching into Christmas until all the Thanksgiving leftovers were in the fridge, but I’ve decided to abandon that philosophy. Sometimes, like the song says, you just “need a little Christmas” no matter what the calendar says, amen?

As promised, you find my own Christmas favorites listed below. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is more than five! I figure since it’s my blog, I can list as many as I want!

• The movie “White Christmas” – it’s been our family movie since before the girls were born and now we can all pretty much quote it. Oh, how I love it!
• The way Christmas lights on the outside cast a warm glow through the window to the inside.
• A Starbucks red cup filled with a Peppermint Mocha or Egg Nog Latte.
• On that note…ice-cold, thick egg nog sprinkled generously with nutmeg.
• Snow on Christmas (not too crazy about it any other time of year, but a Christmas snow is MAGIC)
• A roaring, real fire made from pinion wood.
• The felt and sequin stockings that my mom made for my brothers and me…the stockings with my grandmother’s lace that I made for my girls.
• The fact that I can tell you where every ornament on my tree came from.
• The old Firestone Christmas album #3 and its recording of Ave Maria.
• The nostalgic Christmas sounds of Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and Perry Como, and how I had to relearn them withOUT the skips when I got them on cassette, then CD.
• Two nativity scenes given as gifts from my Aunt Mary Ellen: One is small and almost 46 years old, given on my first Christmas; the other, a Sears and Roebuck porcelain bisque set given to us when we were first married. The latter now has an angel with one wing, and two wise men whose heads and/or feet have been glued back on. I wouldn’t trade either for anything in the world.
• The more current Christmas musical offerings from Point of Grace; specifically, Christmas Story.
• The Salvation Army bell ringer at store entrances
• Sweet Potato Souffle
• Santa’s Christmas train, complete with elves, that my mom made from a pattern in Better Homes and Gardens magazine in 1964. She still puts it out every year.
• The tradition of NOT putting Baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas Eve. We’ve always wrapped Him up in a beautiful package labeled “God’s Gift to the World” and hidden it, giving the kids clues to find the “treasure”. Once found, we read the Christmas story and He takes His place in the scene.
• Hot mulled cider.
• Pigs in a blanket and my mom’s strawberry and/or pumpkin bread on Christmas morning before we open gifts.
• Cinnamon/Vanilla scented candles.
• All the lights out except for candles and tree lights.
• The Christmas Nail ornament.
• Our tradition of going to see a Christmas movie on Thanksgiving afternoon, then coming home to decorate the tree.
• Christmas plays, pageants, and concerts.
• Baking for neighbors.
• Orange Spiced Pecans.
• Novels written around a Christmas story.
• The fact that spending time with friends and family becomes a priority.
• THE Christmas Story: God’s heart for a broken people, wrapped in the skin of a baby boy…hope given its voice as an infant wail splits the night sky. Most certainly, my favorite thing of all.

And, after a random drawing, GEORGIA JAN can look for something in the mail next week from me! CONGRATULATIONS!! Please send me your address via the “Contact Me” button above.

You are all such blessings to me…thanks for doing life with me over these last 300 posts. It’s been an amazing ride!