A Hallmark-Free Christmas

 

Nope. This is not the scene from a Hallmark Christmas movie.

This is real life, folks.

This post may come as a shock to some of you, but here it is.

I did not watch any Hallmark holiday movies this year.

Gasp! Is that even possible? I mean, Hallmark has spun an entire industry around their holiday television! Who can escape from its clutches?

Me. That's who.

I got soooo tired of Hallmark in 2019 that I did not even make it to Thanksgiving before I was done with it. And I haven't watched it since. No Spring Fling movies. No Summer Vacation movies. No Autumn Harvest movies.

Honestly, any one of us could write these scripts in our sleep. They've become a party joke! Big city boy/girl leaves job as a (fill in blank here) to go to their small town and save the (fill in tradition or store or festival here) while reconnecting with their long lost love (or stranger who happens to be a secret prince/princess) and making fast fabulous friends for life in a ten day trip, only to live happily ever after as a scone artist.

There. I saved you the trouble of having to watch them, too.

The problem with Hallmark is that they set unrealistic expectations of what the Christmas season is really about. The same ten actors. The same plot. And interspersed through it all is everything that Hallmark secretly tries to sell you. 

I'm not buying it.

So what did I do instead of spending hours on the couch?

We visited my son's cute town of Perrysburg and went out to dinner! We even popped over to his apartment to scope out his Lego Star Wars Advent calendar.

We spun some vinyl on my husband's new record player.

I went to a thrift store and found this lantern for Mom's shepherd's hook (and it lights, too!) for a dollar!

We purchased these gift cards for some of the workers at our local nursing home. They have had a really rough year, and we wanted to let them know how thankful we are for their care of our elderly!

We shopped in our small downtown to support the local businesses.

I took a drive on a nice day and saw this bald eagle flying overhead!

I took some boys out to dinner, where we huddled around the heaters and tried to stay warm! Again, trying to patronize the local establishments.

I made a LOT of cards, and mailed a lot, too! Birthday, Get Well, sympathy, thank you, Christmas. Now, more than ever, we need to reach out to friends and family and let them know they are in our thoughts and prayers.

So what did I do? I crafted. I cooked. I baked. I read my Bible. I cared for family. I cared for our community. I went to church. I walked the dog. I wrote articles. I lived a productive daily life...without a soundtrack and the inevitable cute-meet. 

Nothing special, and yet everything real and essential. I want more of that in 2021, don't you?