Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for December 15, 2024

Evey does it, big guy

Hey, what’s all the excitement about. No tree, no lights. Come on Arlo, it’s only 9 eves away.

I remember how jubilant and cheerful everyone seemed leading up to Christmas. That’s one of those feelings I’d love to have more often these days.

Everyday should be Christmas

I was just thinking about 10 days.

What do you get a pooch that has everything?

9 Eves before Xmas. Give me their phone numbers and I’ll accept he challenge.

Or 17 days until January. That’s my personal target as an adult, and that countdown starts ticking about Halloween. I’m sure kids have the opposite focus, but I’m not a big fan of the holiday-induced insanity that permeates November and December.

AAAAAAAHHHH! Time to panic!

I’ve been counting down the days ,too. Have 10 more days to be nice, after that bwahahahaha.

The red and green coffee cups are a nice nod to the season :)

I think this is one the few times I’ve seen Janis up and awake early in the morning at the same time Arlo is with a pleasant disposition and smile on her face.

Janis has a nice smile this morning.

Janis could ask to to be called Eve for for 10 days.

When I was a kid, also known as, “If you don’t shut up about christmas, I’ll smack you clear into the New Year.”

… or was that just me?

The most amazing part of this strip is that Janis is actually awake before Arlo for once…

Second day of Christmas.

Is he just thanking for the coffee? Or … see, boydjb47 above. Hmmm.

Guess I should go buy some Christmas cards to send…

Now I don’t want it to end.

right!

My brother and I got to open one present each on New Year’s Eve. I always looked forward to that too.

I must be doing something wrong. It seems to me that JJ should have written “eve” ten times, not nine. Or is he showing how many eves before the 24th?

And everyone thought he had a speaking problem……..

I used to do so many things for Christmas, decorate, buy a tree, perform in A Christmas Carol, take part in the church’s cantata, attend a party or two, send out cards, invite family to visit. Christmas wasn’t a day, it was a month! I loved it !

But life has changed and the holiday is much more low key. Thank God for the happy memories.

Tis the season to be evie wha ha ha ha ha wha

As a young kid I remembered rejecting the focus on ‘getting stuff’ when so much of the world is in need and 19 million starve to death every year…

Panel 3 Arlo grows boobs. I feel weird noticing that!

She should throw her drink in his face!

I’ve already started my nativity calendar and am working through the chocolate. This is still a thrill to me.

We had book club party today. I got 3 more pairs of Christmas socks. To go with the 15 pairs my brudder got me one year, and the 10 pairs I got last year. I have one full dresser drawer of Christmas socks, that are too light to wear in the winter. It’s Christmas all year in my wardrobe. I haven’t bought socks for myself in 10 years.

Decorating inside our house is about 60% of our holiday. Another at least 35% of our holiday is with our reenactment unit. The local restored village is set in the 1800s. They have one house which is set in the late 1700s. Husband and I went to their candlelight nights event with my niece and nephew one year. The people interpreting the house knew nothing about it or the 1700s. Along with a friend from our reenactment unit we brought the idea of volunteering as a unit to interpret the house.

Up until this year we have been there every night of the event. This year we are low on members on who are coming so will be there every other night. (Though, of course, once husband sent in the list of who is coming when – another group of people started saying they are coming.)

We take over the house as if there is a holiday party going on during the 12 days of Christmas. We each “do our own thing” – some are playing period Christmas music, others are singing with same. Husband and I do “first person” impressions. We are a husband and wife of the period who are friends of the (original) home owner and his wife. We know nothing past the matching date in 1775. In past years some members were outside and following their muskets hourly and talking about same. For husband and me and it our favorite part of the holiday.

I laugh at my children, when they start counting down the days. I tell them that you cannot count today, and you can’t count Christmas Day, the first because, well it’s today, and the latter because it’s Christmas. So, it’s 8 days and not 10.

I’ve always liked Dec 23rd for some reason….