I repent of whining...well, I'm TRYING to...

So the decorations are out, and I am already enjoying them, especially the lighted snowman from the front porch whose lights sparkle delightfully through the windows by the front door.

And I am properly chagrined about my whining over First World Problems. “Wah, wah, wah {imagine the nasal tone}, I have SO MANY decorations that I have to put out. It’s such hard work…Wah, wah, wah…{more nasality}.

Yeesh! What’s the matter with me?

{I’d prefer that you don’t answer THAT question. Let it be rhetorical, please.}

It may be said that I often make my own First World Problems by pressing the expectations I presume of others on my performance at the holidays. It’s my favorite time of year, and I want it to be perfect…Even though the truth of the matter is that it will be enjoyed should it fall short of perfection.

And it usually does…

But hope springs eternal! Or in this case, the monkey of perfectionism is hard to get off one’s back…even in pursuit of such trivialities as holiday décor.

It’s a sickness, I tell you.

And there is one more trial ahead – the tree. We don’t have a tree yet because in Randy Honcoop Family Tradition, one cannot be acquired until The Farmer’s Birthday passes…December 7^th. Until then, it is Birthday Time, not Christmastime – at least it is to The Farmer.

I don’t mind humoring him, especially as I need some distance between decorating the house and decorating the tree. It takes a little time for the enthusiasm to rebound.

Rebound it will…I think…and we will go to Stoney Ridge Farm and try to find a beauty amongst the already cut trees so we don’t have to get down on our knees or anything strenuous like that. And it will be a nice narrow slightly sparse tree, because our children and their desires for huge bushy trees have moved out and they have their OWN house in which to put up such monsters…though I have no doubt there will be some comments on how puny my tree is.

It’s become a new tradition, complaining about Mom’s puny tree.

And compared to this, I’ll admit it will be puny…

Oh, youthful enthusiasm! Oh, the blessing of having First World Problems…as opposed to Third World Problems…

{Wait – what are Second World Problems? But I digress…}

Anyway, the decorations are up, and I’m ready to enjoy this Season of Generosity and Good Cheer…

Well, until I have to deal with the First World Problem of Baking…