For the first time ever, we bought a real Christmas tree! Well, it’s the first time for the family. When I was married, we put up a real one every year.

It’s still kinda, sorta the first of December. We’re doing good! Remember the year we didn’t even put up a tree? I can’t believe the boys ever agreed to that. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t put one up this year. Preston has been bit by the Christmas Spirit bug in a major way. He sits in his room and blasts Christmas music every night. I swear it’s loud enough for the neighbors to hear. A tree wasn’t an option

The Polaroids are from every year we visited Santa when we used to travel and camp. The best years of my life – I just didn’t know it then. We have a new nativity scene this year and the cross on top is actually from Bethlehem. Our friends gave it to us a couple of years ago after they got home from Israel.

Friday’s newsletter is a big Christmas movie review. I’m calling it a labor of love because that’s just what it was. I do not like watching movies back to back. I don’t even watch a lot of movies. It’s not been fun, BUT a few of them have been really good. We tried to choose ones that aren’t so well known. At least they weren’t to me. Subscribe here.

Mom and I have been sitting here all morning making our lists of gifts for people. I don’t mind telling you, I have a severe case of why-do-we-spend-so-much-money-to-give-people-things-they-don’t-need syndrome. Isn’t it silly? I’ve actually sent messages to friends asking them not to buy me a gift this year. I would rather spend time with you. I would rather go to dinner or walk around downtown and talk. Our list is mostly kids. Even then, it seems too much.

Laurie and I took Jackson to Greenville’s Poinsettia Christmas Parade Saturday night. He loved it!

DYK: the parade was named after Joel Poinsett, member of the SC House of Representatives & the first Minister to Mexico. He was also a physician and botanist. Perhaps an even bigger deal is that he “founded” the poinsettia (brought the Mexican plant to South Carolina), the official plant of Christmas! I knew that part, but didn’t realize that the red and green colors on the poinsettia are the reason Christmas colors are red and green. Mr. Poinsett spent his summers in Greenville. He died in route from Charleston (his birth town) to Greenville on December 12, 1851.

Apparently, someone decks out in period clothing each year as Joel Poinsett and leads the parade down Main. How have I missed this? Guess what I’ll be looking for next year!

I hope the month of December is off to a good start for you!