Pushing the Envelope Just a Wee Bit...

I visited Lowe's yesterday-- needed to pick up a few more bulbs for the gardens. You can imagine my surprise when I stumbled into an indoor Winter Wonderland!!! Yes, you guessed it-- Christmas trees are already on display! Not just trees~ no, they have all types of holiday decorations: lights, wreathes, ornaments, etc.



I can understand why craft stores like Michael's start displaying their holiday merchandise early~~ if I was going to needlepoint a quilt of the Nativity scene, I'd need to purchase the pattern months (if not years!) in advance. If I was planning a down-home Christmas where everyone is required to make their own gifts for their friends and family, I would want to start a little early. But artificial trees? Who in their right mind is out shopping for an artificial Christmas tree in September? Maybe if they were priced at 50% off or something like that it would make sense. But no, these trees were at full price. I don't get it.


I stood there in my flip-flops, shorts and tank top gazing at the array of Christmas trees before me-- some were flocked, some were tinsel, some were pre-lighted, some were on a revolving wheel, and some even spewed tiny Styrofoam balls through the base of the trunk up to the top to create a snow flake effect.



I was reminded of a letter that my father wrote to the Editor of the AJC (click on the image to the right to see an enlarged version). There is no date on the clipping that I saved, but I would guess that it was published somewhere around 1983. My father really meant it when he said that he would boycott any business that displayed Christmas decorations prior to Thanksgiving. God bless his soul, but I don't think I could ever go that far-- boycott Lowe's??? Impossible!!! It's part of my daily ritual to shop there! It would be like giving up coffee, cigarettes or sleep!


I don't know how effective my father's "rebellion" was-- probably not too effective, sine 25 years later I am blogging about the same thing my father wrote about. Oh well, he tried! And let's just hope that Dad wasn't looking down from heaven when I purchased the cutest "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" welcome mat yesterday. I couldn't resist-- I've always been a Rudolph fan!



Merry Christmas!