Well, mostly I’m into the lights, music, and generally jovial spirit. 🙂

It truly is disgusting. I appreciate the holiday time so much more when I don’t have to experience it in that manner.

Those other bloggers just say that to generate more traffic to their site. I’m not into playing that stupid game, even if it means less traffic. LOL

How cool you have a little bit of magic with you of your own. That’s really awesome.

Alas, no peppermint candies in this part of Morocco. Hopefully, we’ll find some in France next month.

I definitely don’t miss the consumerism orgy. The lights, the food, the music, being with friends and loved ones are the magic of the season to me. The consumerism part can bite me. LOL

How cool they didn’t even want presents! Wow. Are you sure they aren’t really aliens?

I’m surprised they didn’t have them in Costa Rica! Figured with all the Americans down there. . . And now you’ve made me hungry for peppermint bark. LOL

Always fun to create new traditions and memories.

Thank you! We really enjoyed it this year, even if we didn’t have our traditional dinner (turkey, bacon, and mac & cheese are critical parts of the Chrismakah dinner), LOL We went to a beachside resort and had a VERY enjoyable time. It is so fun being able to make your own holiday and have it constantly evolve.

And yes, yes – yay! too, for your “It really is a magical time of year.” as I’ve been lately reading a lot of bloggers who seem to be down on the whole holiday. After all, it’s only a money-grubbing thing if you let it – if you buy into all that crap. But I guess some just have (sadly) lost touch with the childhood “magic” of twinkly Christmas lights and, yes – peppermint sticks hanging on the tree.

g-knows I too have had to adapt my holiday traditions over the years, but whenever possible, I try my level best to infuse this time of year with a bit of “magic”. Amazingly, I managed to find strings of bitty twinkly lights (in purple, white and blue) here in Vietnam, and each evening when it grows dark, my porch (and tiny tree next to my bed) lights up the dark with a little bit of magic!

Shoot, I even have some Danny Wright piano christmas tunes I can blast from my portable iPod speakers – and… [insert drum roll here…] I even tucked my childhood christmas stocking into my backpack, so I can hang it up on Christmas Eve! (I of course, will fill it myself with whatever chocolate and sweets I can lay hands on here).

In any case – wishing you and the Tigger – boatloads of PEPPERMINT STICKS there in Morocco this year!