<p>I guess all of us have ‘markers’ in our lives, things that will always mean the same thing or trigger the same memories. </p>
<p>When we were little kids, my sister and I knew it was getting close to Christmas when the Sears and Montgomery Wards Christmas toy catalogs came. We would race to see who got to look first. We could spend days looking at those and making lists. My daughter did too, when she was little. Those catalogs and a marker were good for a whole day of wishing and dreaming.</p>
<p>Another trigger is ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’. It’s still one of my favorites. It, along with ‘A Wonderful Life’, are movies that tell me it’s Christmas time. Lately, it’s been ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Dallas Theater Center. </p>
<p>Christmas doesn’t really start for me until the kid is here. She will be here today, a little earlier than usual this year. We’ll go to Mom’s house for Christmas Eve and come home for Christmas day. Yep, it’s a wonderful life.</p>
<p>I’m having Christmas dinner at my house–with the model UN in attendance. 2 Koreans, 1 Czech German, 1 Scotsman, 1 Dane, I Malaysian/SriLankan and 4 Americans–and a chance that the family of 5 Kiwis will come too. Planning on playing the Dice Game with wee Xmas pressies and then on to a gigantic Turkey dinner including crackers and pops, followed by anotehr game or two.</p>
<p>I will never think the Christmas season is complete without seeing Charlie Brown and his lonely Christmas tree. I just saw it a few nights ago on tv, and now they are playing some of the music during the ‘local on the 8’s’ on the Weather Channel, the memories!</p>
<p>I also always love seeing ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (original cartoon version of course). Check that one off for this year as well…</p>
<p>The last one is a bit more obscure…It’s a movie from the late 80’s called ‘A Mom for Christmas’. It stars Olivia Newton John as a manaquin that comes to life to give a girl whose Mom died, well, a Mom for the Christmas season. I always loved seeing it as a kid and was delighted to catch it on tv a few weekends ago in the morning on ABC Family.</p>
<p>Top my programming off with a ham and turkey dinner at my parents house (they couldn’t decide which was more appropriate, so they do both!) and then a drive to the fiance’s parents for yet another Christmas dinner! Boy do I need the break (though short)!</p>
<p>Wouldn’t be Christmas without Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” and the Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick.” I can still remember my mother dancing in the kitchen to Blue Christmas and even have videos of her doing it. I always shed a tear the first time I hear the song of that season. My mother loved Christmas and was like a little kid at Christmas. I will miss her again this year.</p>