I’m now in the holiday spirit. Oh, I’m not singing carols yet, or listening to them on the radio, but I’ve started the process.

The bah humbug has as much to do as going into the Macy’s LABOR DAY WEEKEND to find it piping in carols and Christmas decorations as the general holiday blahs. Perhaps I’m entering my approaching-forty crotchety phase, but I believ eyou celebrate Labor Day in September, Halloween in October, Thanksgiving in November, then Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwaanza, and Yule in December. Nice, neat, orderly.

Yesterday I went and bought a fresh wreath and some pine bough. I love the smell of fresh pine. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any live trees under 6 feet. But I did find a wonderful rosemary tree for the dining room table. I’ve always wanted one, and it’s making the bottom level of the house smell wonderful. Also picked up a trio of poinsettias–two to punch up the earthtone colored living room and one on a stand outside the front door. Decorated the pine wreath and mounted it over the bough-draped fireplace, put the weathered grapevine wreath on the front door along with some extra bough, hung stockings on the mantel for my niece and three nephews. Rearranged the living room and bought a nice single-sized tree and trimmings. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and Yule, and I’m beginning to feel it.

Just call me Marquisha Stewart.