Four More Days

 Four days until Christmas. Am I the only one running low on Christmas cheer?

We all know it's been a long, dreary year, what with lockdowns and elections and one more round of Mariah Carey hitting us square in the kisser. But I never dreamed the dreariness would seep into Christmas.

The other day the spouse, the kid and I were sitting in front of the fire, discussing our Christmas wish lists.

It turned out none of us had any.

"Let's face it, Mom," the kid said. "The only thing I need is clothes, and, well, no offense but you don't really pick the right ones for me. I'd just like a gift card. A Visa."

Fair enough.

"Let's face it, guys," the souse said. "I'm not ready to buy any clothes until I lose another ten pounds. And, no offense, but we all know I lose everything you give me. Remember that engraved money clip I ketp begginf for? It's gone, like the gloves, and the scarf, and the gadgets, and ...."

Even fairer enough, I thought.

And me?

In the immortal words of Miss Piggy, "My needs are few. My wants are extremely expensive." And heaven knows 2020 is not the year for "extremely expensive."

Conversations like that tend to put a real damper on gift-shopping.

So what to do? Ideas:

1. Bake Christmas cookies! (Spouse; "Don't do that. I'm on a no-carb diet.")

2. Sent Christmas cards! ("Mom. Nobody does that any more. Just send an email.")

3. String festive lights on the deck! (Then find out the exterior outlet doesn't work.)

Wait- I got it-

4.  See the Christmas Star in the sky tonight! A once-in-800-years opportunity! ("The forecast for tonight is heavy cloud cover with a 100% chance of ha ha ha on your big plan.")

Maybe it's because we had to cancel our annual Gaudete Sunday party. It is, if I say so myself, absolutely the best holiday party for miles. Everyone loves it. And we had to cal it off this year because of the  stupid Chinese flu.

Or maybe it was the sight of the monstrosity that is this year's Vatican Nativity Scene. That was traumatizing.

So what to do? Suck it up and power through?

Now there's a nice holiday attitude.