IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR (BEDS 003)

YES, SIR, FRIENDS, YOU HEARD RIGHT! There are now only ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!

I do this every year. Y'all already know this. The second my birthday passes, I whip old the 'ol Santa hat and start blasting those Christmas carols nonstop through to December 25th. (Except not really, because I think my roommates would probably kick me out, and I rather like having a roof over my head.)

What is it about Christmas that motivates me to drive everyone around me insane? It's the jingle bells, the jolly tunes, the cool crisp air that comes as the season draws closer. It's the first blanket of snow on a quiet morning, the sparkle of streelights against the frozen crystals after the sun sets.  It's the way the night sky looks before snowfall--like dawn is fast approaching, when it's still several hours away. It's the satisfaction of a perfectly wrapped present, the glitter that covers my desk after writing out a hundred cards. It's the light of a Christmas tree, the warmth of hot chocolate under a heavy blanket, the fuzzy Christmas specials that air every year.

It's the excitement. It's coming upstairs on Christmas morning to my little sister perched eagerly in front of Santa's gifts. It's the mad rush of decorating sugar cookies, and inadvertently covering every square inch of the kitchen table in icing. It's the quiet peace of Christmas afternoon, when the madness is over and all that's left is the company of your loved ones. It's the joy of seeing your favourite people light up at the sight of the Perfect Gift.

Christmas is and probably always will be my favourite time of year--the day I lose my Christmas spirit is the day humanity has lost all glimmer of hope. Until then, I will continue to count down the days in my overly-eager anticipation.

And you'll stick around and enjoy it, because you don't have a choice.

Until later,

- Justyne

Christmas (WFMAD Day 28)

I am in such a big Christmas mood right now that I can't even handle it.

As I've mentioned briefly before (and as a good 90% of you will already know), I love Christmas. So much. I love absolutely EVERYTHING about it; the movies and TV specials, the music, the whole general atmosphere that surrounds that special time of year. I love decorating the tree and just about every other square inch of the house, and I love watching as the multi-coloured lights outside twinkle and sparkle against the ten feet of pure white snow that falls over Manitoba every year.

It is FANTASTIC.

As you can see, I get into the Christmas spirit really really early. I start obsessively counting down the days, and annoyingly blaring assorted Christmas music out of my speakers and throughout the house, and I just get super excited. I'm basically like a kid on Christmas morning...three months before Christmas morning.

The only problem with getting into the spirit so early is that no one else is getting into it. Aside from a couple of my friends (TAYLOR AND WENDY YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING), everyone gets annoyed when I start talking about Christmas in September.

But I just can't help it! I love it that much! I mean, not even the gift shopping gets me stressed out, because I genuinely LOVE planning and buying and wrapping everyone's gifts.

I think I'll end this now, before I start annoying you guys, too. Instead, I'll sit in my room, overly excited for a date that's still 87 days away (87!) and listen to Christmas music like it's already December.

Hey, on the plus side, it gets me in a good mood. :)


Until later,

- Justyne