Thursday Thirteen

Favorite things to do in December!

1. Drive around and look at Christmas lights. Some of the displays around here are pretty cool. I have not been to the Elk's Home in Bedford in many years. Maybe this year?

Lights from last year (this display is no longer put up here, alas).



2. Make fudge, bake cookies and give it all away! It is a way of extending my love and good will to folks who otherwise would not receive anything from me but a card or a smile.

3. Buy presents. I am not much of a shopper but I really like shopping for other people, particularly when I have an idea of what I am looking for.

4. Listen to Christmas songs. After Thanksgiving, I enjoy listening to the sounds of the season. I just don't like to hear them before that because it seems so commercial.

5. Watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This is must-see TV for the husband and I. It means the holiday has officially arrived.

Favorite movies to watch

6. The Fellowship of the Ring. The first in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this sets the tone for a showdown of good versus evil. This story of friendship and bonds between the various races of the legions of Middle Earth moves me.

7. The Two Towers. The second in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this movie focuses on the same themes but also includes duty to self and to others. Small people can be victorious, too.

8. The Return of the King. The final version of this movie leaves me in tears every time I watch it (and I've watched it many times). It is a great, sweeping epic.

9. One of the first four Harry Potter movies. Any of those are fun to watch this time of year (I am not overly thrilled with the last two movies so I exclude those.).

10. Mama Mia! This is a new addition to my holiday movies. Something about this movie makes me laugh and cry at the same time. I wish that we really did just burst into song in the market place. Wouldn't that be cool?

11. It's a Wonderful Life. We watched this recently. A movie about being good and doing good and how vital each and every soul is. While it is set in the 1940s, it seems timeless. Even in black and white.

And last but not least, these are favorite Christmas activities:

12. Visiting with family and friends. I love having a girlfriend over for lunch, having family drop in, or stepping out on the town for tea with folks I care about. What better thing is there to do this time of year, anyway?

Scenes from last year's Christmas visits:




13. Stopping time on Christmas Eve by stepping into my husband's arms while we stand before the Christmas tree. He will wrap them around me, kiss me soundly, and wish me a Merry Christmas. And for those few minutes, nothing else in the world matters.



Learn more about Thursday Thirteen here! This is my 118th time to write a Thursday Thirteen!