It occurred to me the other day as I was preparing to write my column that I was in the midst of my annual "Sugar Plum Days" when it's just far enough away from Christmas that I still believe anything is possible. Like our friend, Miz Martha above, pictured with one of the animals she undoubtedly knit herself one day while she was letting the polish on her toenails dry, when it comes to decorating for Christmas and putting on the best holiday ever, I could do anything. (You'll see what I mean by going to "The Column" link above.)
Now my friend, Linda, hit the old nail right on the head when she e-mailed me the other day to say she enjoyed the column and that it was certainly a universal feeling that all us girls experience. But the subject of her e-mail said it all: "42 days to perfection." Oh, yes, m'am!! It would be glorious, all right! The Christmas tree - or that would be "trees" because I decorate - count 'em - THREE full-size trees each year - would be the centerpiece of my holiday vignettes...each tree having its own theme. Lovingly I'll attach each ornament, each sparkly element until I had it perfect. Nevermind that I was actually finishing the trees on Christmas Eve and pretty much HEAVING the last few baubles into place.
My Christmas village would be straight out of Dickens with a nice dash of Rockwell...idyllic in its snowy peacefulness. To say my village is a megalopolis that can be picked up by Google Earth is probably not much of an understatement.
Handmade wreaths on the doors, in my kitchen window...forgotten in November is the fact that my wreaths, having been packed away last year in the post-Christmas spirit of 'I-am-so-sick-of-this-stuff-I-hope-it-all-gets-eaten-by-racoons!' will need to be resurrected in order to be at least somewhat presentable....
What if we don't have White Christmases here in California?!!! With modern technology we might figure out a way to introduce a bit of the white stuff into our decorations this year. 
I guess I'd better see if I can make it through Thanksgiving...
My Christmas village would be straight out of Dickens with a nice dash of Rockwell...idyllic in its snowy peacefulness. To say my village is a megalopolis that can be picked up by Google Earth is probably not much of an understatement.
Handmade wreaths on the doors, in my kitchen window...forgotten in November is the fact that my wreaths, having been packed away last year in the post-Christmas spirit of 'I-am-so-sick-of-this-stuff-I-hope-it-all-gets-eaten-by-racoons!' will need to be resurrected in order to be at least somewhat presentable....
What if we don't have White Christmases here in California?!!! With modern technology we might figure out a way to introduce a bit of the white stuff into our decorations this year. And yes, it's true. My two lovely daughters (who I THOUGHT I was doing this for all those years) used to describe my decorating theme as "Santa Claus threw up in here" - so forgive me if I felt vindicated at last when Ashley had a little gathering of girlfriends over for a little pre-Christmas "do" and one of the girls remarked - "Oh, Ashley, I just love your house! It looks just like Martha Stewart decorated it!!"
So it was that I became Martha. Or a Martha-Wannabe, more like it although I would never admit it. And even now that the girls have grown up and flown the nest, there are some new little baby birds who come to visit now and I know one of them, Miss Gracie Elizabeth, will drop her tiny sweet jaw in wonder at all the lights, the trees, the whole "Santa threw up in here" extravaganza. And you just never know what I may come up with next...I may just have a couple of new tricks up my sleeve...I can hardly wait.
But first..............
I guess I'd better see if I can make it through Thanksgiving...
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