by Noella Noelophile®
That was quick.
It’s Twelfth Night–the traditional end of Christmas.
December is thirty-one days long. The Christmas season now appears to start just after Halloween (!).
Even so, it seems to be over very quickly.
We’re still playing music and have the Christmas lights lit–till bedtime tonight. And we hate to turn them off.
So, what are you doing to keep the “lights” glowing, figuratively and otherwise, in 2019?
Christmas 2019 – in the planning stages
(Photo courtesy of SolvangUSA.com, and used with permission.)
We suspect that, at this point, preparations will be just getting started in Solvang for Julefest, 2019! (Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau Sales and Special Programs Manager Daniel Lahr mentioned, in a pre-Christmas interview, that preparation for the next Julefest happens just after the conclusion of the previous one).
In Seal Beach, which just had an amazing Christmas parade a month ago, the Seal Beach Lions Club has almost certainly begun preparations for the 2019 edition. They just might need volunteers, if you’re local!
Meanwhile, the Bay Area’s much-beloved Dickens Fair will be considering proposals from performers this spring. (Their page currently lists a May deadline for the 2018 edition, so I’m going with that for now, but will update this when I know for certain.)
If you wanted to attend their 2018 edition in Victorian costume, but had no time to make anything, now’s a great time to take advantage of their resources–in which they give you Victorian costume guidelines and other ways to “Prepare for the Fair”!
And, if you happen to be a Bay Area resident who’d like to get involved as a volunteer, their volunteer workshops usually begin in October. Keep an eye on their website for updates and details.
(Photo courtesy of Markki Pesce, and used with permission.)
Oh, and did you, by any chance, miss the opportunity to make candy canes–free–on a pre-Christmas weekend at Nelson’s Columbia Candy Kitchen? This fantastic, family-owned business offers that special tradition every year. You might like to start sending them postcards, for consideration for next Christmas season. They do random drawings of postcards sent in, to see who gets to participate, and the deadline to send them one is Labor Day weekend.
And–figuratively speaking
Another way to keep the “Christmas lights” glowing figuratively?
Well, what would make you say, “That was really fun!”? What creative project would you like to do for you–and no one else? Where haven’t you gone that you’d like to, and what haven’t you experienced that you’d enjoy?
A few Christmases ago, one of our neighbors, “Kenneth” was outside as we took a morning walk. He was polishing his pride and joy–a vintage automobile, circa about 1928.
“Want a ride?” he asked.
He didn’t have to ask twice!
Around several blocks we went, in that wonderful classic car. Neighbors looked at us, smiled and waved.
Kenneth beamed and hit the horn–“AH-OOGA!”–a few times, drawing attention to the unusual vehicle chugging by. “Merry Christmas!” we called when people turned to look.
What a wonderful experience. We’re so thankful to Kenneth for asking if we wanted to go! That’s a Christmas memory that’s going to glow in my memory for a long, long time.
Now, what’s the first intangible Christmas present you want to give yourself, or someone you love, for 2019? Somehow, these turn out to be some of the best.
Hope you had a wonderful, Merry Christmas and will have a Happy, healthy New Year!