Doin' the Christmas Thing

Tis the season for getting excited about Christmas and this year we are really ready for it. So many new things to celebrate and old friends and family to celebrate with. Nature has hopped right on the bandwagon with a wintry wonderland out every window. I love it now but by March I know I'll be ready to taste spring.


Last week I made my carrot pudding, a family tradition from my childhood, and baked our usual dark Christmas cake. Of course we have already eaten a quarter of it. Just couldn't resist. The rest I have cooling and percolating out in the garage. This cake is better made ahead and left to age. Say, maybe that's the way it is with people. Now that I'm not so young, I tend to think so.

A few years ago I was smitten with the usual Christmas euphoria on the day I started my baking and a song just jumped into my mind. "Oh, I'm doin' the Christmas thing, doing the wonderful Christmas thing..." I ran to the piano, played it to get the key, and madly wrote the notes on some manuscript paper. As I worked on the Christmas cake, words just flowed and I made many trips to the piano. Amazingly the cake didn't suffer and the song grew. The next day I was singing at a church event and sang this joyful song even though I didn't have any of the parts done and had nothing written for my accompanist. I sang it a cappella and the ladies loved it. I was transported back to my wonderful childhood. Hopefully it will evoke similar memories for you.

Maybe I'll try to figure out how to record it so you can all listen to it online. Meanwhile enjoy the words, print it out and play/sing it, whatever you like. (Just remember it's mine.)