Are you ready for the cold? We are at the coldest temps right now for the year. Wind chills today registered at -2 F average. I haven't been putting out birdseed so I finally remembered to do so yesterday and, boy, was I rewarded. There has been a flurry of birds and squirrels out there picking and pecking at the feast of black oil sunflower seeds. Right now as I'm typing (with Addy on my knee looking out the window, too), there are cardinals--4 bright red males and a couple of duller-colored females, chickadees, nuthatches, white-throated sparrows and juncos. Quit an assortment, eh? There's one squirrel who has planted himself right in the middle of things and he's not budging unless it's to move to another spot to find more seeds.

I've put seeds up on the deck railing and also thrown some down on the ground below. I got a lovely picture this morning of several species of birds sitting together happily gobbling up seeds. The most notable was the red-bellied woodpecker with his reddish-orange head. Who else was sitting with him? A nuthatch, a male cardinal, and a house sparrow. Too bad I couldn't get a better picture. This was taken through a window and in the shade.

So, are you also ready for Christmas? I guess I am. We don't go out and get a lot of presents but I do like to get at least one for everyone who is going to be here. And I like to try to find a few little things to fill the stockings. We are expecting my youngest son Kip to arrive any day now. Rumor has it that he now has a girlfriend. He has admitted to making out with her last week and spending most of the time at her house. Amy and I have a feeling that he's not going to spend his usual week or more down here this time. Not with a girlfriend to cozy up to. Can't blame him, either, since she is his very first one.

But, as far as I know, I'm done with Christmas shopping except for the grocery store trip this week. What's on the menu? Hmmm, let's see. Ham, au gratin potatoes, and succotash. As for other fill-ins, I don't know yet. Ah, I should do pickled eggs and beets. That one reminds me of my Grandma Kellenberger. And Waldorf salad does, too. Gee, and for old time's sake, I ought to make a mincemeat pie. That one reminds me of my dad. Not that I really wanted to be reminded of my dad but mincemeat pie is one of the few fond memories I have of him.

I was sitting last night looking at the Christmas tree that was giving out the only light in the living room as I rocked Addy to sleep while her parents were out for a night "on the town" and got to remininscing about my Christmases past. As I rocked back and forth feeling Addy's hot body on my chest, I noticed that the lights appeared to be twinkling. I liked that. It was a nice effect.

And then I figured out why children love Christmas so. Sure, it's about the presents and the magical wonder of a jolly fat old man racing around the night skies dropping off presents to your house. But I also figured out that it was the main time of the year that people were all nicer to each other. Children feel the vibes of the house more strongly adults and the atmosphere seems to lighten up some. Even if it is just for a little while. So, life feels great, as it should, for a little while.

The anticipation is always more exciting than the actual event. Christmas Day itself can be fraught with uneasiness and stress depending on who you are forced to hang out with. Like my stepgrandmother's house. My brother and I had to go since we were too young to be left home alone. My sister went once that I know of and probably opted out of going again. She didn't like how everyone else there was getting a present but she, I and my brother didn't. Our half-sisters certainly got them but not us. I only remember a swirl of activity and being around a lot of people that I couldn't relate to. But they weren't trying to relate to me, either. There were always candy dishes to dip into, at least, and food a'plenty. No wonder food became my main focus in those early years and a trusted but sneaky friend.

Like I said, the weeks before Christmas are more full of promise and excitement. And, above all, there is this different feeling present. A feeling of goodwill and kindheartedness in the air in the weeks leading up to Christmas. People have more smiles on their faces in the stores, they notice you and nod. They let you pass by and are more courteous. This is what I wish could be captured and spread throughout the whole year. But it's not. Soon enough after the holidays die down, everyone is back in their own world and you don't get the smiles and recognition like you used to as you wander the aisles. They get all closed in again. As closed in as the house is from the cold.

So, yeh, I wish Christmas could last the whole year. Wouldn't that be something? The tree up in the living room 365 days a year. It would have to be artificial, of course, then. And we would all be out buying a gift once a month because we'd be celebrating Christmas every 25th. Some years we would be celebrating Thanksgiving AND Christmas on the same day. Wouldn't that be fun!? But I guess it is too much to ask...