By: Stephanie Reynolds
It’s been a busy summer and a busier autumn and now we’re ready to breathe. We’re ready for walking through the Christmas trees at the duck pond. We’re ready for cider on the square. We’re ready for parades and shopping and feasting and resting. We’re ready for sweet, plaintive strains of “Silent Night” wafting out into the night from every church window, seeking the lost and the lonely. As the days get shorter and the waning sun dims our vision slightly, we’re ready for other senses to lead us through the season—the scent of fir, the taste of cocoa, the warmth of a hug, and the sound of laughter.
What a beautiful time to be in Athens-Limestone County!
Now, I know that for many of us this time of year can be harried. The drive to make everything “influencer perfect” grinds at our souls. Like hastily stretching a new tablecloth on an old, scratched wooden family table, we try to throw brightly colored perfection on our lives in ribbons and handmade cards and expensive presents and overfull calendars. Icing and makeup hide divots and dark circles on our desserts and faces.
But why don’t we make this holiday season as chill as the (utterly ridiculous) temperature outside? I mean, we are in the best county in the best state in the country! We are the warmth that people write about, fun that people dream of, nature that people long for…
And it’s ALMOST CHRISTMAS!
Let’s leave the Pinterest-perfect and Facebook-fabulous daydreams behind and instead get up to our elbows in icing, glitter, and sprinkles. Let’s under-book our days (OH! Remind me to tell you about a great idea…one sec…) and overload our hearts with merriment.
I know that sometimes having guests can make it hard to relax but if you have guests coming in, please come see me! I would be more than happy to help you plan some great things for them to do. Your guests will have a fun time, you can be a hero, and I’ll get to gush over how awesome our county is—it’s a win-win-win!
Ok, back to my great idea for under-booking our days: Bookmas. If you haven’t heard of it, it goes like this: On one night, everyone gets a new book (it can be a surprise or one you asked for) and you have snacks and read the new books—that’s it. Just reading and food.
They need to be fun books, though, delightful books. No tearjerkers like Old Yeller or Organic Chemistry: Structure and Function by Vollhardt, K. Peter C, and Schore, Neil E. (2014). Get dreamy books, adventurous books, thoughtful books, comic books (or manga if you’re my type of nerd).
Now, normally this takes place on Christmas Eve, but I think it would be awesome if we did it once a week leading up to Christmas. That way we’re guaranteed an “Oh, I’m sorry we can’t <insert event you really are too tired to go to here>. We have a family-thing night of quiet every week!” Isn’t that a GREAT idea? Just a great night to feed the belly, the heart, and the mind with family and a close friend or two.
Everyone I know who has tried Bookmas loves it. There is something delicious about thinking about a new book and a night set aside on purpose to make an event of reading it. If you aren’t sure about it, just try it. Let me know what book you got, what snacks you’re eating, and how many times you are going to do this in the weeks leading up to Christmas. You can go to our Facebook page if you want to post it or just email me here. I really want to know!
It’s the beginning of an amazing month, the season of Advent, the most wonderful time of the year! Let’s really sink deep into this time and soak in the light of every Christmas tree and smile, the warmth of every fireplace and heart, the taste of cider and kisses.
Merry Almost-Christmas, my amazing neighbors! I am so glad to be with you this year!
By: Stephanie Reynolds, Athens-Limestone Tourism Association
