How Many Days ?

If you live in the U.S. (eastern time zone) it's 45 days from today not counting minutes and seconds. If you need an exact number, there's  many sites that will do a daily countdown in days, hours, minutes, even seconds. Sadly, it's getting closer every year in retailing terms and could start even earlier in a few years — bathing suits next to Christmas trees?.

A few many stores had holiday decorations up way before Halloween. These photos were taken inside two local stores, one is a major retailer whose name starts with "W" at the beginning of October.

As we were travelling out of state in mid-October, there was no shortage of decorated trees in this major home improvement store — in various colors too for those wanting a blue Christmas (are you seeing this, Elvis?)

And, where there are trees, there are also lights; don't forget extension cords and candles.

Plus, decorative balls in colors other than green and red; blue for a blue or white tree?

Add in stars, angels candles and holiday jingles too.

And, don't forget the gift wrap and cards as if retailers would let us.

When we were growing up (OK we're dating ourselves), holiday decorations were held off until post Thanksgiving — not like now when several holidays converge or overlap. Back then when Halloween and Thanksgiving ended, department stores started the Christmas decorating/selling season. Christmas is already a bit too hectic and loses more of its special magic each year thanks to retailers and the buying public. 

So...have you started, finished with shopping/decorating or do you want to forget about Christmas before it arrives? 

Psst . . .it will be over soon and Valentines decorations could be out by Dec. 26, maybe sooner.

Yes, a rant