Do They Know It's Christmastime?

Well, they sure as heck do in Burbank.

On our way home from a Friday "we day" (that's "me day" in the -ist vernacular) at the movies we realized that before the Thanksgiving turkey was even stuffed our neighboring 'hood is already ready for Christmas. The giant tree is beginning to take shape in the middle of the Burbank Town Center mall (back after spending a few sad years outside of IKEA, if we remember correctly) and the area known as Magnolia Park (which we know plainly as that strip of Magnolia Boulevard with a whole bunch of scattered shops and businesses) was hopping with pre-holiday activity. Vendors had booths set up, the Carpenters were crooning about chestnuts roasting on an open fire over the sound system, pockets of crowds hovered elbow to elbow on sidewalks and in parking lots, and most merchants were hanging their wreaths and lights with care, in hopes the almighty dollar would soon be spent there. Turns out it's actually the Holiday in the Park Celebration & Open House. It looked kind of fun but also kind of daunting to us. Didn't we just have to decide what to be for Halloween? Aren't we still hammering out who's bringing the green bean casserole with those crispy canned onion things to Aunt Peggy's on Thursday*? Sigh. There's no way to stop it. Christmas has come to Burbank, and we suspect it's coming to a neighborhood near you.

In a few days (thankfully after Thanksgiving) Burbank kicks off their 12 Days of Holiday Cheer event, which promises food, tree lightings, snow to play in, and fun for the whole family. Once we turn the calendar to December we'll be ready for that. Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate, and send us back to that nice fall weather we had just a week or so ago. It's no fun to "Fa la la la la" in t-shirts and sandals!

*Okay, you got us. We don't actually have an Aunt Peggy.