So, this season is really not my favorite.

Yes, my birthday is next week. Yes, there is excitement on the kids’ faces and in their hearts. Yes, we have a home and food and clothing. We are fortunate in the extreme, and I am aware of this and grateful for it. I just don’t do holidays well.

I wonder if it’s my distaste for the consumerist culture I live in… Probably this is a factor. I am a contributing part of this culture, so I really shouldn’t bitch, but this is my forum and I’ll bitch if I want to. At any rate, being continually harangued to, “Buy, buy, buy!” really rubs my fur the wrong way.

Now, this is what the holidays should be about: