If I see one more fat, jolly, cartoon santa--or just one more stereotypical frosty the snowman, I think I'll throw up. Holiday decorating has become more and more about buying whatever's popular this year, tossing in on the front lawn (is ours better than the neighbor's?) and plugging it in. Zero creativity or good taste.

My in-laws' home (where we all congregate each year) has the same tree, in the same location with the same tired decorations on it. We come in the door and the young ones crowd around us, all wanting to show off what they got this year. Whatever happened to, "Hi! Merry Christmas! How nice of you to join us this year."? No, it's all about the presents and what did you get me....

I bought a 2 foot tall live tree. We'll plant it in that blank space out by the back wall after the holidays. Maybe even sooner, if it starts showing signs of distress indoors. At the moment, it sports a few small decorations (some of which are singleton earrings--very pretty and unusual).

We hang up our Christmas cards as decorations.

And that's it. The joy of the season is much diminished by the blaring cacophony of competing musical sound tracks in the stores and the visual tackiness of the decorations. But it is still there, in the quiet corners and in the friendly smiles.

Just look for it.