Well it's my favorite time of year.

To me our Winter concert marks the beginning of the holiday season. After that weekend, I can shop decorate and generally get ready for Christmas.

I grew up as a military "brat". We decorated mostly the inside of the house, but did not do a lot for the outside of the house. The outside had lights and a wreath and not much more. This was because our house changed because we moved every 2-2 1/2 years.

The inside included a specific manger scene, music boxes, and lots of garland and usually a big Christmas tree. My favorite thing were Christmas balls that had a yarn string mixed with tinsel on the bottom. You pulled the string and they played Christmas songs music box style. We got the balls in Japan. My brother loved to pull the string on both balls.

My parents are gone, my brother is gone, but I have most of the Christmas stuff including the balls. They hang today in my house giving me memories of my family here and gone.