Christmas Lamentations Part 2

Some might think I'm practicing "bah humbug" behavior....honestly, I don't mean it that way. I'm just disheartened by the mushrooming commercializing of Christmas, extreme marketing tactics, and mass glitzing behaviors.

Yes...I'm still on the "boycott Christmas advertising schemes" meant to grab your money fast..fast..fast. My son wrote a ditty on his blog (see Try's blog) about the Black Friday scheme by Best Buy, selling 20 super computers for $150 each for the super early morning shopper. Hundreds of folks showed up at the Minneapolis store on Black Friday, and my son kicked himself for being gullible to the advertising, and going there at 4 a.m. only to find 100's of folks camped out in their cars in the parking lot. He saw other 100's of brave souls standing in line to get in the door. He drove on by and went home to bed.

I'm still trying to avoid getting sucked in to the on-going marketing frenzy, although a stop at Big Lots the other day did tempt me. I contained myself, however, and stuck to purchasing less the $20 in items...some of which were little gifts for our work secret Santa exchange.

Tonight's rant, however, is on the GLITZ. I am going to have to take a picture and post it in the next few days to get across my point.

What is the deal with people who are decorating every inch of their house and lawn with dorky Christmas decorations? Do they think its Beautiful? It's starting to remind me of Chevy Chase's Christmas Story....I have a neighbor who has one of those insane...or is it inane displays. The blow-up decorations seem to be breeding, every day there are more. The wire lighted deer figures are becoming glowing herds in slow motion. The halograph lighted shapes (stars, Santas, angels, snowmen, etc) are like neon beacons. The lighted candycane edgings of sidewalks, driveways, decks, etc.....are fencing the neighborhood.

I think that the power companies across the USA must throw money to the Christmas decoration producing companies, challenging them to create as many varied and unusual lighted holiday decor items as possible so that they can make money too. I suspect that the energy consumed in the USA for lighted lawn decorations at Christmastime is adding to global warming. Wouldn't you love to know the price of all that light? Let alone the light pollution?

I'm really tempted to put a single strand of lights up in some obscure fashion in my front yard with a sign that says "Less is More" or maybe "Less Glitz and more Peace on Earth", or how about "Stop Global Warming, turn off your Extreme Christmas Lights".

Does anyone reading this remember a couple years ago when the power companies suggested that Christmas Lighting could strain the power grid in times of bitter cold? I am wondering if my neighbor has forgotten the increase in energy costs this year?

I think I'll save my money that could be spent on holiday lights for something more important....like my winter heat bill. I know, that's pretty mundane. Okay, okay....there's a better time for it to be spent....that's in the spring when I put up my little green house. I wonder if my green house would look festive with Christmas Lights in March?

S~

Christmas Marketing Lamentation

What is the deal with Christmas marketing? I've been pondering this question and expressing anger at the audacity of stores and businesses that chose to begin displaying Christmas items for sale in late August.

The recent flap about whether President Bush should have "Merry Christmas" on the presidential holiday greeting cards is, to me, not as big of a deal as is the change in the spirit of what Christmas is, as marketed by everyone trying to sell something!!

So....lets see....we now call the Friday after Thanksgiving "Black Friday"....to me that sounded like it was a bad thing. Come to find out it isn't, it means its the day that businesses/stores FINALLY are out of the red and making a profit for the year. Why? Because nearly every single person in America is buying, buying, buying.....to fill the ever growing maniacal need to get gifts from, well, you name the chain store.

I think it is time to call a boycot of all stores that begin selling Christmas oriented items before Halloween, and certainly those that put stuff out in late August and September (except for the specialty Christmas all-year-round shops). My message to the big merchandisers is: THE MORE YOU PUSH CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, THE LESS LIKELY I AM TO DO IT!

In the last few years, when all this advertising starts hitting the air waves, heck, I start feeling like its an election year. Now think everyone. How many of you loved being bombarded by all the election advertisements? How many of you just loved it when political advertisements started months before the real campaign actually began? Well......I think Christmas marketing is now in that same category. Annoying.

When the TV and radio and newspaper ads...and Internet ads....all are screaming "buy buy buy" (so they get in the black, black, black)....then the true meaning of Christmas has been lost.

So.....ask your self the following questions and see if you are as annoyed as I am:

1. Seeing Christmas trees and decorations and things for sale in stores before Halloween (in fact right next to the Halloween stuff) makes me excited and eager for Christmas?

2. Seeing Christmas/Winter Holiday stuff for sale at the end of the summer makes me get into the nitch of buying presents months in advance?

3. Being bombarded with Christmas ads the minute November begins makes me open my wallet and spend spend spend?

4. Hearing that the Friday after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday", the most profitable day in the business year, makes me get out there and fight crowds for bargains?

5. Watching advertisments and TV shows that glorify the experience of receiving gifts...especially big expensive ones....as meaning a person is loved, and/or socially acceptable....causes me to part with $100 bills to show my loved ones that I care?

As you probably guessed, I answered "no" to my set of questions. Fact is, I'm starting to look at not buying much at all this year. Its time that the gifts we give to our family and friends be those that come from the heart and our own hands. Maybe its the simple act of giving our time. I suspect that giving some cherished time and spending that time with a son, daughter, spouse, friend....is what a good number of American's need. Our lives are so busy that we think the store bought item will make up for lost time.

So.....yes, I am asking you to think about Christmas aka Winter Holiday. Is December 24/25th all about buying stuff....often going in debt to do so.....or spending more than is reasonable....to stack presents under a decorated Christmas tree? Is it all about Santa Claus? Is it all about helping our "consumer economy" create "growth"?

Me? I think it should be about giving from our "heart", our "hands", and our "time". Try to have the smallest bought Christmas present season this year.

S~

Thanksgiving Tomato

Several posts ago, as I was writing about the last days of my garden, I made a statement that I was going to try and have fresh garden tomatoes on my plate at Thanksgiving. The news is, I succeeded!

In mid-October, I dug up a tomato plant that was a "volunteer" sprout. The plant was maybe 2 months old and had just started to produce tomatoes when I found it growing in the spot where my bed of tomatoes had been in 2004. I took the plant inside and have watered it faithfully. The 3 tomatoes on it began to ripen during the week of November 14th, and I waited to pluck them from the vine at 4 p.m., November 24th. I sliced them up for garnishings on the green salad I served with all the turkey, dressing, greenbean casserole, pie...etc. etc.

The hoop green houses that I placed over my tomato plants in the backyard helped extend their life up until about Nov. 13th. We took them down - or should I say the wind took them down - and with heavy frost/snow forecast, I knew that the plastic was not going to protect them any longer. I picked the green tomatoes on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 13th, and the many (mostly cherry size) left are now ripening. I'm pleased I extended the season to this extent! Now my goal is to keep alive the tomato plants I've taken inside. In the Oct. 2004 Mother Earth News, there's an article about wintering over tomato plants inside and then starting cuttings for the summer. Rooted cuttings from an adult plant result in quick harvest - according to the article.

So...for the November garden report: I picked fresh tomatoes on Thanksgiving Day!

~S

Fall Colors Fading

The weekend has brought rain and wind to our portion of Wisconsin. That means that the colorful leaves on trees in our neighborhood have nearly all fallen to the ground. I thought, however, that I'd share a few more pictures that I took while driving thru Sheboygan a couple weeks ago. As of now, bare trees are dotting the landscape far more as the season marches towards winter. The rain, however, was very welcome.

And speaking of rain!! It did seem strange to have a full blown thunderstorm rumbling and flashing on a northern November night! I can't remember ever experiencing such at this time of year. Lightening flashing in thru my window, rain pounding down in torrents.


Snow and blizzards...that's what I'm accustomed to. Late October (sometimes earlier) is the time when snow begins to fall and blanket the earth....but that was in Western places like Colorado, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming...... I don't have enough Wisconsin experience to know if this is a strange thing. I'm not "wishing" for snow...although I sure do love using the snow blower to move it off of the sidewalk and driveway. (That's me in this picture - Jan. 05).

I'm quite fascinated with these "warmer" days this time of year. I still have tomato plants growing under plastic tents! I still have Swiss chard, rhubarb, broccoli....happily growing with some under plastic cover and others just fending along in the elements. My desire to have veggies for harvest at Thanksgiving is close to coming true. No "hard freeze" nights in the forecast for this week. So....2 1/2 weeks to go!

S~