Many of my friends know I’m a not-so-secret Christmas nut (my Facebook page features a steady stream of Christmas photos, for example). So as this weekend in July rolls around, my excitement level begins to build, because the first vestiges of Christmas begin to appear — the Hallmark Christmas ornaments.
That’s right. This weekend, Hallmark stores will premiere much of the 2014 Christmas ornaments; the remainder will arrive in October. For collectors of this iconic, almost-Norman Rockwell like reminders of Christmases past, it the first chance to snap up their favorites.
It was my wife who introduced me to the Hallmark ornaments during our first Christmas together in 1997. Before that, I don’t think I’d ever paid them much attention. It didn’t take long before I got hooked. The artistry that goes into these ornaments is amazing, but more than that it’s the memories they bring back, mostly of happy times spent together with families and friends.
(And if you didn’t know, the Hallmark Channel has been doing Christmas in July all week long, replaying many favorite Christmas movies from the past few years.)
So even if you don’t collect Hallmark ornaments, it’s worth visiting your local Hallmark store just to see the colorful and sometimes whimsical collection, and maybe for a moment, recapture that special spirit that prevails during the Christmas holiday even if it is in the heat of the summer.
And that’s life at turtle speed.
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