'Tis the Season...

Ah! Don't throw figgy pudding at me, but yes, I'm talking about Christmas in a round about way.

One of the myriad reasons I love the fall is an odd one - 'tis the season the holiday food catalogs start arriving and I LOVE to look at them.

Yes, I admit, I like food. Food is really nice. Artfully arranged snack foods and holiday decorated spreads are especially nice. Sure my mailbox bursts at the seems from now until January with catalogs of every description, but I really don't mind.

I got my first Figi's catalog the other day and I sat down to peruse pages and pages of fancy feasts. While staring at cheese logs and petite fours and spiral hams and cookies, I realized that it's not necessarily my enjoyment of eating that makes me like these catalogs so much...it's a desire to experience a good, old fashioned holiday. When I look at these catalogs I think of snowy Christmas Eves with friends and family gathered in a cozy home, red and green and gold decorations, and a beautiful buffet on the table.

Our family holidays have gotten smaller over the years. Family members have moved away or passed away, the kids have grown up, the celebrations are smaller and over sooner because everyone is tired and wants to go to sleep early.

So the catalogs are like a trip to the past for me, a mini-holiday. It's weird, I know, but I'm used to being weird.

Do I buy from the catalogs? Yes, ultimately I do, though not in September. That's a ritual in itself - hours pouring through pages, comparing prices, making lists-another part of the holiday season.

Go ahead and throw your figgy pudding at me, just artfully arrange it first and take a picture for the Ghost of Christmas Past.