December 4, 2016 IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

 Today on my run I saw-- a cowboy snowman , a snowflake ferris wheel, a few angels, assorted figurines from the island of unwanted toys including the abominable snowman, a plethora of toy soldiers, giant noel candles, several reindeer and many Christmas inflatables deflated on the ground. Oh yeah, I didn't see a santa but I saw a pair of lions--I'm not sure they had anything to do with Christmas but you never know. Anyways,  can't wait to drive around at night to get the full effect! Some people have SOOO  much stuff that it's even difficult to  see their houses. I guess those are the REAL Christmas aficionados--Bless you-- the kids love it.  There are a few houses I look forward to seeing every year and I am happy to report that they were busy setting up this morning to add to the Christmas cheer. I just love admiring everyone's unique collection of outdoor Christmas decorations. It gets crazier every year--Last year I even saw an inflatable outhouse for Santa! I do have to wonder though--where do they keep all of their Christmas paraphernalia  when it is not on display--HHUUMM--maybe they rent out a storage facility?? This all reminds me of a great book I read a few years back about a couple who decided not to participate in the whole Christmas rigamarole called Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.

In this hilarious story, Luther and Nora Krank--long standing Christmas aficionados in a neighborhood that even holds an annual decorating contest--decide to take the year off of Christmas. No cards, No tree, No presents--especially unwanted ones--No annual Christmas party--No hickory honey ham. A FULL BOYCOTT OF ANYTHING CHRISTMAS. Their daughter Blair is abroad working for the Peace Corps, so they decide to spend their money on a cruise instead. This plan sounds simple enough except that their home will be the only one in their tight knit neighborhood not decorated with a Frosty on the roof-- and their neighbors will not stand for it. There will be no BAH HUMBUG in their neighborhood. The pressure mounts as their neighbors rally against them in an effort to force them to celebrate Christmas. Just when the Kranks think they have escaped Christmas,  they get a last minute call from their daughter--she has decided to come home  to spend Christmas with her family. YIKES. Find out how the neighborhood rallies at the sixteenth hour to help  Blair come home to a traditional Christmas with friends and family. I really enjoyed reading this novel and laughed out loud several times. It's only about 250 pages or a 3 mile run that will put a smile on your face and help you through the rigamarole we call Christmas.