The Ghost of Christmas (Stockings) Yet to Come

There's a lot to be said for after-Christmas sales,especially if you can be patient and wait until January or even February to cash in on the deals to be had on holiday tchotchke.

Example: On my lunchbreak today, I wandered away from my office--or, more accurately, I wandered as far as the still-frigid temperatures would allow me--and wound up in one of the big-chain DVD/CD stores.

I had no intention of buying anything--next payday is a week away, and this past payday was the rent check--but one shouldn't walk into such places if one doesn't intend to buy; it's rather like walking into a restaurant without the intention of eating. Nothing caught my eye as far as DVDs or CDs, but I did notice the small island of lingering Christmas items--a few action figures and lunchboxes, but mostly stockings.

At Christmastime, it's traditional for me to hang stockings in La Casa del Terror for me and the kitties. The tradition was more of a melancholy exercise this past holiday season, though, since Ms. Christopher passed away in October. I hung her stocking up anyway, but there was little joy or celebration in the action, but not hanging it up would have been even sadder.

The island before me it seemed, presented possibilities for change--especially since everything was 90% off.

I chose two new stockings: One shaped like "The Leg Lamp" from A Christmas Story for me, and a Hello Kitty-themed stocking for Olivia. They'll be hung from the closet doorknobs with care come the day after Thanksgiving.

That doesn't mean I'm going to dispose of the stockings I'd used in the past for me, Olivia, Chris and Lottie. They'll still be used as decorations around La Casa--reminders of small, warm friends no longer with me, but never completely gone from mind or heart.