Don't fight fire with fire

I'm probably getting a lump of coal in my stocking or a glitter bomb on my car for saying this, but I haven't put up one Christmas decoration this year. I'm doing some holiday-ish things here and there by putting together an Advent devotional book for church and a couple of garlands up at The Ledger. However, the holidays seem to be sneaking up on me and there's still so much to get done.

My next-door neighbors have a fantastic larger than life reindeer in their front yard with a light shining on it at night. Going to work in the early morning hours, it's caught me off guard more than once, but I love seeing it. And driving from Thompson Falls to Trout Creek, there are dozens of houses all lit up with holiday cheer.

These little moments are getting me in the holiday spirit, but the energy in Plains, Thompson Falls and Trout Creek the last couple of weekends sure was infectious. Holiday strolls and parades of light and tree lighting and caroling makes it feel like Christmas even if there isn't a blanket of snow yet (hopefully the weather gods are listening and will give us a good snowstorm before Dec. 25 so we can have a white Christmas.

And then there are the Christmas plays. While I didn't make it to The Paradise Center for "A Christmas Carol," I did get to see a lot of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" last week as I attened a rehearsal at St. William's Catholic Church, the Rex afterparty Saturday (at which the cast performed two scenes from the play) and the actual production at The Lakeside in Trout Creek on Sunday.

If you need a good dose of holiday cheer, make sure you catch one of their two performances of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" this weekend (Saturday at The Paradise Center, Sunday at The Rex Theater). Not only is it a large cast and an impressive performance, but you can tell how much work each and every actor and crew member has put into the play. While all the actors did a fantastic job, I think all the kids in the musical deserve a special shoutout. They knew their lines and their dance moves and the whole thing was an enjoyable experience that will send you home with songs in your head. I'm in the phase of life where if I don't write everything down, I forget by the time I walk across the room, so watching the youngsters remember their lines and act with so much energy was a delight.

So the Christmas spirit has hit me, and I hope you have a chance to go see the local productions and experience a little Christmas magic, too. ­ — Annie Wooden