White Christmas

I remember last year when my mom asked me if I was going to put up any Christmas decorations. I said no. Not that I don't like Christmas...that's far from it. Even though there were a few other variables to the equation of the 'no' (i.e. I was broke, we had a cat that would find a way to kill itself with the tinsle and really wasn't much space for a wreath, long behold a tree). The main reality was...being far away from home, it didn't feel like Christmas. Sure I was living in a city that took the holiday's and RAN with it (Can you say 10 parties in 18 days?! Uffda!). When you looked beyond the huge decorated trees in the Whitehouse, the lights amongst the Georgetown streets and the "umpteenth" piece of Christmas chocolate - it wasn't Christmas. Why? It just wasn't the way we prepared/celebrated for it back home. Yeah, we had parties and got dressed up but there were deeper moments to it too.

Such as....

1) Attaching Christmas lights to the barn while standing 25 ft in the air in a shakey John Deere feed bucket.
2) Running through the snow from the shop in the main yard to the house with the dog.
3) Evening walks from the barn to the house when all that is on is the Christmas lights and the sound of the ice/snow cracking beneath my boots.
4) Seeing the "Northern Star" on top of the Harvestor (silo) from miles away and getting the feeling that all is right in the world.
5) Helping my mom with various (once annoying) tasks of prepping the house (Think Studio 56, New England Series!).
6) The feeling you get when they light the Advent candle every Sunday....
7) Seeing family more often throughout the month and giving and recieving homemade goodies.
8) Watching various Christmas shows on TV with my mom and her crying (e.g. It's a Wonderful Life).
9) Taking 15 minutes in the morning just to put on all the warm Carhartt clothing to go outside and feed the baby calves.
10) Dad and I making fun of mom for listening to Christmas music NONSTOP.

It's not the same anymore...nor will it ever be. I will do a little decorating but the real Christmas time will not be until I come down the driveway at the farm on the 21st.