Storm of Thoughts

Getting Ready for the Holidays

This weekend felt like the true beginning to the holiday season. Pete and I spent much of Saturday decorating our apartment, which included getting our very first tree, taking a long time to carefully put lights on every branch, and then spending far too little time actually putting up ornaments. (Due, of course, to our lack of ornaments. Although I actually think I have an impressive number of ornaments for someone who has never had “her own tree” before; unfortunately, most of them are in New Jersey with my parents and the “real tree.”) And to mark the occasion, I had planned to impress you today with a few too many pictures of the tree, which we are, of course, disproportionately proud of. Unfortunately, though, I’ve misplaced my camera cord, and so that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Besides the tree (and the other decorations we put up), we also enjoyed holiday shopping, our first official snowfall (though none of it stuck), and getting in the spirit with holiday movies this weekend. To me, the movies are one of the best parts of the season. Every year I look forward to watching everything from A Charlie Brown Christmas to Miracle on 34th Street Street. My family is especially partial to It’s a Wonderful Life, a movie that can quickly put anyone in the holiday mood. Then there are all of the versions of A Christmas Carol. While Scrooge (with Alastair Sims) will always be the “classic,” you really can’t go wrong with any version of that story. Since the end of A Christmas Carol at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, which we attended every year, my family now loves Kelsey Grammar’s 2004 musical version - which is a good alternative. (Although I’m anxiously awaiting the play’s return someday.) Next on the list for Pete and I is Home Alone, a movie that’s been his favorite for a long time. This weekend we also watched Elf which, for whatever reason, is always funny. (Plus now whenever I watch it I can point out that I talked to Mary Steenburgen!) While not exactly a holiday movie, I also make a point to revisit While You Were Sleeping every year at this time. And, despite the silliness (or maybe because of it), we now always watch Surviving Christmas come December.

What are your favorite holiday movies?

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