And so it begins…

(First and foremost, I have GOT to quit hitting the "RETURN" key instead of "TAB" on my keyboard. What is wrong with me?)

It's almost Christmas, y'all!

Know how I know?

1. We had our office Christmas breakfast yesterday. Breakfast casserole, sausage balls, banana nut muffins, and a fruit tray. And my general manager handed out presents, even though we've agreed for the past two years to not exchange presents, instead giving the money to charity.

(I scored a nice silver necklace with my initial on it, strung on strands of black ribbon and cords.)

2. My landlady has come by my office to bring me a Christmas card. And include a check! Who does that? My landlady, that's who!

(Jason says we'll be depositing it and writing it right back to her, in case you were wondering.)

3. It's raining. That's right, around here we don't have a white Christmas - we have a wet Christmas.

(And guess whose umbrella broke today? I TOLD Jason I needed a new one for Christmas, and now I really do.)

4. The stores are full of folks wandering around with a blank stare on their faces, eyes glazed over, trying desperately to finish their shopping.

(I know this primarily because at lunch today I was one of those glazed-over folks.)

5. I finally bought our gingerbread house kit! Yay!

6. We've been doing our Advent candles. We sort-of forgot to do them for the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, so we're doing them the four days before.

(Hey - we're Pentecostal - we're new to this whole Advent candle thing. Cut us a little slack!)

7. Random advertisers are bringing by trays of goodies. Today, it was one of our electrical companies, and there were brownies topped with buttercream frosting involved.

Don't ask if I ate one. I'd hate to lie to you this close to Jesus' birthday.

Do you get the same feeling I do at this time of year? Right before Christmas? It's kind of like some imaginary lever has turned, and we're heading full-steam into the holiday - no turning back!

Here come the holidays!