There's Always Another Holiday!

Changing from the season of giving to the
season of LOVE!

We love holidays.  We've mentioned that before in relation to the festivities that have just passed.  The Halloween through Christmas season is a much-anticipated time around here.  But, now it's over.  This was brought home with some finality today - the kid's first day back at school.  For some reason, when they go back, I feel as I've gone back with them.  I can't forget that sort of sick in the pit of the stomach feeling that I used to get on that last night before school started - a stark realization that Christmas was really and truly over.

Now that I am older, and have a home and family of my own, I am able to do something about it.  We were just discussing the fact that there's always a holiday - something to celebrate - on the horizon.  In fact, here, if there's not a holiday within a month's time, there's likely a birthday or two.  And, if the space between festive days on the calendar grows too long, you can always invent one!  While no day can quite compare to the red letter celebration at the end of December, there's plenty of fun to be had. 

This year, rather than take down all of the Christmas lights, I've left some up and switched color schemes...  Rather than the red and green of Christmas, we have the red and white and pink of Valentine's Day!  The little fir tree that was on the porch and covered with Santas and snowmen is now decorated with lights in varying shades of pink, red, white, clear and even some twinkly ones to add a bit of sparkle.  Winter is too long and, sometimes, too dreary to take away the brilliance that the colorful lights of Christmas provide, so why not extend the fun?  Afterall, there's green and white for St. Patrick's Day, pink, green, yellow and blue for Easter and the patriotic red, white and blue of the summer holidays!  One year, having taken down the warmly glowing orange lights of Halloween, I put the Christmas lights up early, using only the colors of autumn - red, orange and yellow, with a dash of green thrown in for good measure.

Something to add a little dazzle to the cold winter night.

Holidays are fun, but why not make every season just a little more special?  Make a favorite meal, light some candles, take a walk with your dapper or dreamy partner, throw some sparkly lights on the porch to brighten the dark winter nights...  The possibilities are endless!