I'm really looking forward to the holidays this year. I'm not exactly sure why, as I don't do anything outrageously special, but for some reason, the thought of some time off from work to eat a big yummy feast with my friends and family just really appeals to me this year.

I have a small family and only a couple close friends, so I don't have a lot of gifts to buy. I know exactly what to buy them this year, and it won't break the bank, and they're practical gifts that I know they'll like and use in some way.

I also mail holiday cards to a few old friends, and I always try to handwrite a personal letter and enclose some photos of my horses and me. I hope it makes my friends happy to receive something like that, and I hope they will send the same kind of thing to me this year, as I'd love to hear from them.

What I do NOT like about the holidays is the insincerity and commercialism at my work. The people there like to throw parties and give expensive gifts, and it honestly makes me want to throw up. They spend so much WORK time planning the parties and then complain about how they have so much work to do. They buy gifts for EVERYBODY without really putting any thought into them other than "look how much I can spend on you!" I try to avoid these disgusting displays of holiday wealth at all costs, and then I get called a Scrooge.

Ugh, it makes me sick.

Fortunately, I have plenty of other holiday happiness to look forward to, as mentioned above, and also including listening to Christmas carols and watching my ponies play in fresh fluffy white snow!!! :)