Rushing the Season

While shopping at Sam's Club in late August, Christmas displays assaulted my sensibilities. Christmas lights, lawn decorations, gift wrap, cards, and teetering towers of cookie tins and chocolates had knocked the Halloween candy and Thanksgiving trimmings back four aisles.
I dashed home and assessed my own state of preparedness:

Quilted table runner complete?

(Detail of table runner showing "broderie perse" applique in the center of the block -- a new technique for me, but a very old one in the history of quilting.)

Kitchen cabinets decorated?

Reindeer at their posts over the living room fireplace?

Piano top display arranged?

Tree up and lit?

Nutcrackers ready to go to work?

Christmas is at my house. It always is. I'm stubborn that way about my favorite holiday. I have a hard time understanding people who prefer Halloween, or Easter, Thanksgiving, Independence Day. Don't they get it? Christmas has it all! Religious significance, music, pageants, parades, presents, decorations, friends, family, food, good smells, winter weather you haven't yet grown tired of, traditions, parties, excess -- YES!!! So, come to my house this year -- you're invited!!!!! Now, I have to go bake some cookies.