… but it just isn’t working the way I’d like it to.

Do you notice anything different today?

Like the fact that I have a different picture at the top of the blog page? I am trying to get into the spirit of Christmas.

It’s not really working.

First of all, its kind of hard to be in the gift giving spirit of it all when every avenue of revenue is balking … today the home equity company said it would take at least another two weeks to co-sign the insurance check for my roof.

I understand. After all, pens are so hard to find these days.

Then there is the weather, snow, ho-ho-ho spirit of it all. Right. Snow. Which is kind of hard when it is 70 degrees in the Northeast in December.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Then there is the decorating part of the spirit. Where I would go and ambitiously string lights outside … or inside … and do trees and whatnot.

Lets see …

Depressed … check (sort of)
No Housemate … check
No Visitors … check
No Decorations … check
Lazy … check

And furthermore, the lights I did get for the front room for the holidays are sitting on the floor waiting for a roof that may not arrive in time for Santa. But hey, why should I let a little thing like electrocution come between me and a decorated house, right?

What about Family and Friends … Lets see … family not coming home for Christmas … just checked … friends all far away … but I do plan to visit my parents.

And what about the spirit of the season? The reason for the season?

Well, that is a feeling that I have all the time … and feel more so on Christmas … or Christmas Eve in Church.

No help for today.

So I decided to do something radical here on the old Happy Holly Project … and change the picture at the top of it all … and add the falling snow.

Which is hard to see. But it’s there.

I was going to change the background to black so you could see the falling snow all the way down the page, but it was too depressing.

Just what I need while trying to cheer myself up.

So I went to Facebook, where someone had put out the question “Got any unusual Christmas traditions? I would LOVE to hear about them!”

And there were such gems as these …

Pizza for christmas eve, we leave coke for santa and a beer for rudolf (to keep his nose red). Chili on christmas day.

I am sure Rudolph appreciated that.

Instead of the usual ham or turkey we make Galumpkis. Bringing my Buffalo Polish heritage to the holiday. Not really unusual if you are in Buffalo but these South Floridians are mystified. You should see us on Dyngus Day! Now that’s a party!

Haven’t heard about Galumpkis since my childhood friends families made them. And if you never heard of Dyngus Day …. check it out. Now there is a holiday!

Then there were a few holiday inspired food entries …

Every Christmas morning I make Chipped beef with frozen green peas.  Don’t really how this got started, but we decided the chipped beef has a kind of red color, so we added green peas(frozen ones are greener) mixed in that white gravy…a Christmasy looking breakfast.

Pepperoni omelets on Christmas morning!  I grew up with that one and when I met my husband and made it for him he looked at me like I had gone crazy and he was clearly reconsidering our relationship!

Every Christmas morning my family’s breakfast was codfish in a white sauce over toast.

I like to have caprese spaghetti on Christmas eve (fresh mozzarella, pesto, roasted grape tomatoes) because it is red, green and white!

Uh … yum?

Then there were the ones that made me scratch my head.

We hide a pickle ornament on the tree.  Whoever finds it is supposed to have good luck.

Because nothing says luck to the owner than a lost pickle.

we make reindeer treats and rudolf always leaves a special present as a thanks…

And the treats would be what exactly?

Christmas Eve we always have lasagna and start drinking. We always have a pretty good time.

I guess that’s taking Christmas Spirits literally.

So now I am a little more in the mood. Probably won’t do Rudolph beer or Reindeer treats … but that idea of eating Red and Green food sounds interesting.

Does Chocolate come in Red and Green?