This is the time of year I like to call transition week. We’ve just finished celebrating a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend and now our mood shifts to the joyful Christmas season. The week between football and turkey to lighted trees and mistletoe is a shift week for sure. At least it is for me.
I love, love, love my Fall decorations. Since I live in Florida and we don’t experience the changing autumn colors, I make my own Fall. I put my decorations out the last week of September and leave them up until the first weekend in December. I have a hard time letting go. I love the rich orange, gold and brown palette. It makes me feel warm inside and every time I walk into my living room, I smile. So I have a real dilemma come December. I don’t want to take them down.
But then Christmas decorations start popping up everywhere. Soon, I can’t resist the red and green color motif. Up with the tree. Light up the house. It’s fun, especially when young children—or those young at heart—get caught up in the Christmas excitement. Once I take all the autumn items and pack them away, opening Christmas boxes is like greeting old friends. Such lovely memories can be found in special ornaments or a hand-me-down angel or even placing the Nativity scene in a designated spot that features the reason for the season.
So how to battle the transition week blues?
If you’ve been to any store lately, you’ve probably already witnessed Christmas decorations. While I like shopping for new pieces, last year I started a new tradition. Once all the Christmas novels show up on the shelves, I pick out a handful and devote the month of December to reading and enjoying Christmas stories. Yes, it’s a busy time of year, but I try to grab spare moments to escape into these lovely novels that share the love and hope of Christmastime. I’ve written a few Christmas novellas myself, and I have to admit, they’re so much fun to write. Even if I’m working on the project in July! There’s just something uplifting about books set during this season. If you haven’t taken the time to read during the holidays, I highly recommend it. I notice a hop in my step and I wear a sappy smile when I’m enjoying these holiday-themed stories.
So, back to transition week. Or maybe bittersweet week? Either way, I have to pack away my favorite Fall decorations and get ready for Christmas. The bright spot in all this? Reading a heartwarming Christmas novel. It takes a bit of the sting away. If you have the same problem transitioning, leave a comment so we can commiserate together!
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Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of fifteen novels. Family values, a bit of mystery and, of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HIS ONE AND ONLY BRIDE, available January 2018 and her next Christmas Town novella in the holiday collection, HEARTWARMING HOLIDAY WISHES, available now. Visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at Tara Randel Books
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