Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now

For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Hasn’t snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we’re in a hurry

Jerry Herman

A week or so ago, I shamefully admitted that I had started my Christmas earlier than usual. I’d put up my two Christmas trees, threw colored lights on my bushes outside, started playing Christmas carols.

Now, I must admit that I have Christmas decorated x 2…..

I just decided if I was going to be in Mesa for much of the Christmas season, I needed to have a few lights to enjoy. I bought a little flocked artificial tree in Denver at Home Depot, and Bill packed it in our car to haul to Arizona without even a single grumble.

When we were young, at some point our mother started buying a live flocked tree which she decorated with red candy canes. So this is tree is a rather pitiful salute to mom, with flocking and candy canes. Admittedly, the fake snow is sort of offkey when the weather is 85 degrees, but I love the tree anyway.

Yesterday Bill asked me if I wanted to drive to Home Depot with him. Of course I didn’t, but I went anyway because see above: he didn’t complain about stuffimg an artificial tree into our trunk. While he shopped, I don’t know, maybe plumbing supplies, I wandered around the Christmas section. Before I knew it, I was in line purchasing an outdoor lighting decoration.

I love my husband for many reasons, but this time of year, I love him especially for his willingness to be flexible when it comes to my crazy purchases. Rather than furrowing his brow, he immediately began fixing a spot to place the decoration. And his “fixing” involved digging a trench for the electric cord which had to run six feet or so into the garage, and then covering it with rocks…..

But isn’t it pretty? I turned it on at 4 o’clock, forgetting that it’s still light until nearly 6 o’clock here in the Valley of the Sun….

Well, suffice it to say that I’m done with Christmas decorations, mostly because I’m out of houses. But I think most people will agree that “We need a little Christmas, right this very minute!”