It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

OK, I admit I purchased my first carton of eggnog before Halloween. And, well, you know I stashed two containers of Schwan's Peppermint Stick ice cream away long before that.

I figured that would hold me for awhile. But honestly, once the calendar turns to November, all bets are off. It 'tis the holiday season! It 'tis the most wonderful time of the year!

Tonight after dropping Carter off at confirmation, I made my way to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. Of course, the cart goes directly to the clearance Halloween candy. I believe I am set for the candy dish at work for the rest of the year. Easy.

While I'm throwing that in the cart, it dawns on me that I am humming. Humming along to the store music overhead. Humming along to Christmas music!

Whoa. Not expecting that. And yet LOVING that! I do have an ounce of sympathy for store employees who for some odd reason don't like this joyous music and must now hear it for the next 60 days. But just an ounce.

With a hop in my step -- as much as I can hop with my hip dysplasia -- I continued shopping and was in for another pleasant surprise.

OK, I have more than one addiction. I do like ice cream, yes. But I don't know if I mentioned I like mint chocolate in many other forms, too. Well, any other form! So those Christmas Hershey's Mint Truffle kisses are a find. So are the mint holiday M&M's. And, you guessed it, I found them tonight!

I wasn't planning to load up on red-and-green anything, but I recalled how many times I go to the store in late November to get ingredients for Christmas cookies and all those treats are long gone. This isn't a joke. Last year, I had to go to Wal-Mart, then ShopKo and Target before finally finding my mint M&M's at Fleet Farm of all places. Yes, I will go to great lengths for good mint chocolate -- and good Christmas anything.

Maybe I was a bit hypnotized by Perry Como singing on the loud speaker. Probably a good thing they didn't have the Glee Christmas CD plugged in or I would have had a full cart!

OK, time to log off, have some eggnog and start reading my first "holiday" book!