Finding Christmas

Oops…  I wrote down the wrong date.  Samantha Warren will be guest-blogging here on December 30th, not today as had been announced.

I might have found a glimmer of Christmas spirit tonight.  I’ll have to see how I feel tomorrow, whether it actually stays with me or not.  But tonight, for the first time this season, there was just the tiniest bit of a spark.

Finally got my Christmas village up.  Yes, it’s all crammed on top of my bookshelves, instead on the top part of my desk where it belongs (and where there’s a lot more room), but it’s up.  Still have to get some tacks to fix the lights…but it’s up.   Already been rearranged by Jasper (one of the cats), but it’s back up…again.

Books didn’t help.  Neither did the tree.  Driving around looking at the beautiful light displays, not so much as a hint.  And I’ve listened to carols so much that it’s just kind of like white noise now.  Except for the 12 Days of Christmas by Straight No Chaser.  For whatever reason I’ve loved their version of the song since the first time I heard it.

When they get to the Rains Down in Africa part, I have to grin every time.

But it’s almost always movies that do it for me.  Old favorites.  New favorites.  I watch more movies during the holiday season than at any other time of year.

Without fail White Christmas and A Christmas Story.  And the best of all of them, It’s a Wonderful Life, will send my Christmas spirit soaring.  Not this year though.  Sure, I was smiling at the end.  It’s impossible not to when George Bailey finally realizes what he has, and the tremendous impact he’s had in the lives of everyone he knows.  When his house fills to overflowing with the friends anxious to help this special, selfless man out of the jam the thieving Mr. Potter thrust him into.  No matter how many times I’ve seen it, and sometimes it’s half a dozen times every December, it just never gets old.

Wow.  Todd Karns (Harry Bailey) was sure a sexy guy, wasn’t he?

But this year it didn’t work.  And so far I haven’t been able to work up any enthusiasm to watch any of my others…and believe me, I have quite an extensive collection of holiday movies.

Tonight, though, was different.  Yet another hopeful trip out to look at Christmas displays.  Only one house in a city about twenty-five miles from here got to me, and I hope to get a picture of it Christmas Eve so I can post it for you to see.  It was one of the most beautiful displays I’ve ever seen.  And then it was snowing a little bit, and that always helps.

And then I came back home…and was bored out of my mind.

So I thought I would watch a movie I’ve only ever seen once.  I don’t even remember when I first saw it but I’ve always remembered it.  And I finally found it at the store the other night.

It’s called A Hobo’s Christmas.  And I realized tonight, as I watched it for the second time in my life, why I’ve never been able to forget it.  I tried to find a clip for you, but all that’s available on YouTube is the whole movie…in one video no less.  If you have time, it’s well worth watching!

Gerald McRaney plays Charlie, the widowed father of two children.  He has a new love interest and life is going fairly well for him again.  Until his father shows up a few days before Christmas.  A man who, when he lost his job twenty-five years previously, left his wife and son to live as a hobo.

How they get from Charlie’s initial anger and resentment to an ending that will bring tears to your eyes, even as you’re smiling from ear-to-ear, is very heartwarming.  Sure you know how it’s going to end, but have you ever watched a Christmas movie that didn’t end pretty much the way you expected it to?

And so a movie about a hobo worked.  At least temporarily.  Like I said, gotta wait and see if it lasts.  But I’m still sitting here feeling all soft and mushy inside, even after hunting up videos and writing this.

That’s something that wasn’t there before…

***Fourteen hours later, it’s still hanging around.  Looks like my Christmas village will be up before supper.  🙂

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7 Responses to Finding Christmas

  1. As a child growing up every Christmas my mom would have us watch A Christmas story. We loved it and sometimes even watched it when it was not Christmas. I think it is funny that every year it is popular and stores are still selling its merchandise. The movie has become a Christmas classic. I have so many favorites it is hard to tell which one part I like best. I have conviced my husband to watch it with me this year.
    Happy Holidays and thanks for your post!

    • Hi, Sharell…
      Thanks! And Merry Christmas to you, too.

      A Christmas Story is one of my favorites, too. All my favorite parts involve the dad. That guy just cracks me up most of the time. But his interaction with Ralphie are just so cool…and the love for the leg lamp hilarious. A bowling alley in a box, lol. He showed he could even be a little romantic in that touching part where he and his wife are sitting at the window watching it snow. So yeah, any part with the dad is my favorite. 🙂

  2. Love the Christmas village! Glad you’re feeling Christmasy now. Brandy Alexanders help too! XOXO, Jenny

    • Thanks, Jenny! That Brandy Alexander sounds REALLY good! Just to let you know, I hope to be catching up on my blog visits sometime in the near future. Picked up a Trojan horse virus about two weeks ago and my computer is in the shop. This thing I’m working on doesn’t like many websites an either freezes up or moves so slow I want to scream. Hopefully I’ll get a call SOON to say it’s fixed and virus free. I want my computer back! 🙂

      I love the village, too. I have a huge set that even has a working train, but it’s a bit of a challenge to find room for. So my favorite is this miniature set. Someday I’m going to take the time to fix it all to a permanent, portable surface, and then it will be safe from curious cats. 🙂

  3. Yeah, who knew? It struck me as slightly odd that a hobo did it for me, but there you go. I’m kind of odd so it’s not surprising. 🙂

    Kind of struggling to hold onto that feeling this week though. Looks like no snow for Christmas this year, which sucks. I WANT SNOW! Everything we got Saturday night, which wasn’t much, was gone yesterday morning. If it’s going to be cold, it needs to be white outside. 🙂

  4. Shelly Immel says:

    Yay, Kristy! Who knew you needed a hobo to make your Christmas complete? Glad you found your hobo, your right movie, and your Christmas spirit!

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