A few of my favorite Christmas things...

There are so many things to love about the holiday that is almost here, but on our way back from Key West a few days ago, I pondered what I love and cherish most about Christmas.  And today I jotted them down - here they are in no particular order:

1. Tinsel icicles.  The old-fashioned silvery strands you could carefully arrange strand by strand, or throw with liberal abandon in huge clumps.  We did both, sometimes on the same tree.  I haven't seen any for sale in a few years, though.

2. My mom's peanut brittle.  It's simply the best, hands-down.

3. Christmas cards.  Especially those with glitter or old-fashioned scenes on them.  I adore looking at each card we get and remembering the family who sent it.

4. Watching our kids open their gifts, especially when there's one that truly surprises them.

5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - the 60s cartoon version, if you please.  It is a wonderful tale of grace and gratitude, wrapped up in jazzy images and music.

6. Christmas Eve with my husband's family.  It's gloriously noisy and chaotic with too much food, everyone talking at the same time and a frenzy of gifts being torn open by children young and old.

7. Vince Guaraldi Trio's "Charlie Brown Christmas" CD.  It's an echo from my childhood, but I think it has held up well.  And anytime you hear Linus & Lucy, you have to smile.  Don't you?

8.  A fire in the fireplace.  It can be roaring and popping with real wood, or tame flickers from gas logs - a fire simply says warmth and welcome await.

9. Christmas snow.  It happens very rarely in the South, but when it does - as it did last year - it is magical.  The world becomes quiet and calm and serene.

10.  Dusk on Christmas day.  The gifts have all been opened and admired, dinner dishes are washed and put away, and everyone is full and relaxed.  As the twilight fades, the Christmas lights glow as a reminder of the festivities we've enjoyed.

What are your favorite parts of Christmas?

Whatever they are, I hope you get to enjoy them this year.  And from our home to yours, we hope that your days ARE merry and bright, and you have yourself a merry little (or big) Christmas.

Happy holidays,