It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

At least, it is around here. Every year, it seems to be earlier and earlier that the decorations are put on the store shelves, and I've noticed that now, they get put up earlier, too.

I started seeing those damn eight-foot tall inflatable snowmen at least three months ago, and of course, most of the craft fairs I've been to in the past six months all have wooden angels and that sort of dreck...

But this weekend, while I was in Austin, they put the tinsel up on Congress towards the Capitol. When I went to H-E-B yesterday, they were putting the Christmas decorations up in the parking lot, and this morning, the city crews were putting the wreaths on the streetlights in the downtown section of my historic small town.

I am by no means complaining. Trust me, I'm quite happy right now with my life, and this holiday season promises to be one of the best I've had in a long, long time. I'm HAPPY about the coming holidays, but Jeez... the leaves haven't even turned yet!

I know, I know... we're in Texas, and the leaves will change colors and drop off in the space of a week, but still... it just seems early.

Perhaps my unsettledness is just a larger symptom of the fact that I'm becoming more and more aware of the how quickly time passes. I'm getting OLD, y'all, and while I talk over and over about how much I like getting older and getting taken seriously, I'm STILL old.

Thank Goodness. And Merry Christmas.