It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Have I ever mentioned how much I looooooove Christmas?  (Yes, that's love with 7 "o's").  This season makes me incredibly happy.  But wait, no.  Happy is much too mundane of a word to describe it.  It makes me... joyful?  No, what's the word?  Ah, yes.  Merry.

Hohoho.  (That's how I'm going to digitally laugh until after Christmas.  Just kidding... but tempting)

Somehow Christmas manages to take a rather bleak and dreary time of year (when daylight is short-lived, the ground and trees are stripped bare, and the weather is cold and wet) and turn it into something magical and nostalgic.

Speaking of nostalgic, I think I've decided my favorite Christmas carol is "Wassail! Wassail! All over the town" because of how antiquated it is (seriously, this song screams Middle Ages).  Also, it's all about eating and drinking and has a good jolly ring to it.  According to Wikipedia, "Historically the drink was a mulled ale made with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and topped with slices of toast."  Interesting.  I think I'd like to try wassail sometime.

Anyway, I've been on pins and needles to put our tree up this year but I keep being told it's too early (I've been wanting to put it up since before Halloween).  Is there something wrong with wanting to extend the holiday?  When is the right time to put up a Christmas tree anyway?  I've often been told it's right after Thanksgiving and try to stick with this general rule, but since Patrick and I won't be seeing much of each other at home until December 14th (wayyyy too late!), we decided to put it up yesterday.

Sadly the weather here is still relatively warm, somewhere in the mid-60's, and the trees are still clinging to their autumn colored leaves.  So we had to crank up the Christmas tunes on our Pandora playlist to really set the mood.  Here is a picture of Patrick putting on the star (which he put on first even though I'm pretty sure it's supposed to go on last):

Let's just get this out in the open: our tree is fake, relatively cheap, pre-lit, shorter than Patrick (see above picture), purchased from Wally-world, and requires some QT spent fanning the little leaves out to make it appear fuller.  But I love it.  Plus, in our case it's all about the ornaments.

Our tree has an "around the world" theme since we try and pick up an ornament whenever we visit new places.  Our collection is relatively small but what you would expect from a newly married couple.  So far we have some lovely ornaments in the shape of Dutch shoes from Amsterdam, a surfing Santa from Florida, a penguin from the National Aviary (aka bird zoo) we visited in Pittsburgh, the Kennedy Space Center, and some Russian dolls that Patrick gave to me as a gift on our wedding day (among others).  Here's a peek at some of my favorites:

Also I noticed my reflection in some of the filler ornaments and took advantage:

Last but not least, here are some other Christmas decorations that we put out.  Some lovely penguin place mats, a santa salt & pepper shaker, the tree blanket (is there another word for this?), the nativity scene (with little Patrick and little Monica hanging out as witnesses).  Not sure if we're supposed to put the baby Jesus out yet but why not?

I leave you with a few verses of the "Wassail! Wassail!" song as found here.  These people really are just looking for every excuse to drink...

Wassail! Wassail! all over the town,

Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;

Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

Here's to our horse, and to his right ear,

God send our master a happy New Year:

A happy New Year as e'er he did see,

With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.

So here is to Cherry and to his right cheek

Pray God send our master a good piece of beef

And a good piece of beef that may we all see

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

Here's to our mare, and to her right eye,

God send our mistress a good Christmas pie;

A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see,

With my wassailing bowl I drink to thee.

So here is to Broad Mary and to her broad horn

May God send our master a good crop of corn

And a good crop of corn that may we all see

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

And here is to Fillpail and to her left ear

Pray God send our master a happy New Year

And a happy New Year as e'er he did see

With the wassailing bowl, we'll drink to thee.

Here's to our cow, and to her long tail,

God send our master us never may fail

Of a cup of good beer: I pray you draw near,

And our jolly wassail it's then you shall hear.

Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best

Then we hope that your soul in heaven may rest

But if you do draw us a bowl of the small

Then down shall go butler, bowl and all.

Be here any maids? I suppose here be some;

Sure they will not let young men stand on the cold stone!

Sing hey O, maids! come trole back the pin,

And the fairest maid in the house let us all in.

Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock

Who tripped to the door and slipped back the lock

Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin

For to let these jolly wassailers in.

oo,