It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Hugh the cat in a Christmas tree

Or why my daughter thinks I’m sometimes a Scrooge

It’s coming up on Christmas, and I’m going to tell you a secret. My youngest daughter says I’m a Scrooge. It’s not that I don’t love Christmas, but I hate decorating. I’m not a fan of hauling out the tree, fluffing the branches, and then putting on the ornaments. And that’s just the start. Everything goes up, and then three weeks later it seems like it comes right back down. In years when I travel a lot, like this one, it seems a lot of work for little reward. But my daughter loves the holiday season and I’m a team player.

You know who also loves the Christmas tree? The Dunaway Cats. Just look at the picture above. (Speaking of those cats, you can see more of them and what they are up to on Instagram using the hashtag #dunawaycats)

The minute the tree is up, it becomes something they simply cannot resist. When Hugh was a kitten, he made his way almost to the top. This is why we put the nice ornaments up top. Silly cats.

My street also has a festive tradition. The neighbors all gather on Dec. 23 for a holiday party. And on the 23, 24 and 25th, the entire block lights luminaries. It’s really cool, as you can see in the next pic.

lights on the street

And as proof I actually can be festive, here’s our tree.

Festive Christmas Tree

I work with English language learners who often have other celebrations, so whatever holidays you celebrate, I hope you are already enjoying the winter season. May it be exactly what you wish for this year.