Bah Humbug!...or is it Bah-Ram-Ewe?

So, Poor Deby obviously hasn't been inspired enough to write anything here in a good, long while.  (Or else she has been living a super-secret high-profile exciting life as a Bond Girl and simply hasn't had the time.)  Whatever.  What brought her here tonight was a quaint little discussion with Hubby Dave about the upcoming Annual-Christmas-Season-Gift-Giving-Ritual, and how Poor Deby would like to "opt out" of the whole production this year.  Poor Deby simply mentioned that she is growing increasingly weary year-after-year-after-year of the ever increasing commercialization of the "Christmas Spirit."  Trying to figure out what useless thing she can buy for someone that they never knew they needed.  Or, inquiries from well-meaning friends and family about what she may or may not want when all she really wants is less clutter in her life, not more crap to donate to the Goodwill.  Whatever happened to the simple days... the "hanging of the Christmas stockings by the chimney with care"... you know, "SIMPLE" stuff like stuffing a couple of Satsumas in the stocking (or a lump of coal if you were on the Naughty list) and a few walnuts.  And maybe a hammer.  Follow that up with one or two gifts from the Sears catalog, along with the obligatory new pairs of socks and underwear, and hey, you're good to go for another year.  But, no, now it's gotten way too out of hand.  Gifts are more expensive, more electronic, less personal.  Poor Deby wonders how she might go about "opting-out" of Christmas this year.  It seems one can opt out of email lists, snail mail lists, telephone telemarketing lists, you-name-it-lists.....but, how does one "opt out" of the Santa List?  How about you tell the people that normally give you a gift to take that money and stuff it, er, I mean, to send it to their favorite charity? Or, to send it to "your" favorite charity? (the Tasmanian Devils in Tasmania still need my ongoing support!  See the above photo...what a cute little face!)  Christmas has become a media circus event.  Poor Deby remembers way back in the day when the Christmas decorations didn't dare go up in the stores until the day-after-Thanksgiving.  Now they go up pretty much right after the 4th of July, along with the t.v. commercials for all the latest toys and gadgets you never knew you were missing.  It's not about the actual "Spirit of Christmas" anymore.  It's about who can go into more debt buying more stuff for more people who have more than they can use.  It's time to go back to the simple version. 
The Jimmy Stewart "It's a Wonderful Life" version.  Not only at Christmas, but at Life in general.  Less is More.  Go back and watch the movie "Babe"... you know, the one about the cute little pig who thought he was a sheepdog.  The pig learned the simple secret of the connectivity of all life was "Bah-Ram-Ewe."  The farmer learned that the only necessary response was "That'll do Pig."  Simple.
Have yourselves a Merry LITTLE Christmas...