It's beginning to feel alot like...

AUGUST!!!

At least that's what I thought of this morning as I was running around the city park at 6 AM in the 86 deg heat, sweating like it was an Illinois summer afternoon in August.  Christmas was the last thing on my mind.

Actually, there's not much around here that reminds me of Christmas other than the music coming from my iTunes and buying a few presents online.  We don't have much in the area of Christmas decorations yet, and since we still don't have any living room furniture, we didn't bother with a Christmas tree.  (Next year!)  Although the church is decorated, so that helps.

I'm reminded again of how dependent I am on the environment.  I guess 26 years in IL will do that to a person.  Midwestern seasons in the States is all I've really known.  I'm not sure if it's the cold weather or short days that make it just seem like Christmas time.  Or maybe it's not any of that and it's just the force feed of media and consumerism back in the States.

Last week I was running down on the river front, sweating like crazy, and went by Santa's House...I chuckled, must have arrived at the North Pole, I thought.  Shivers ran through my body.  Not really.

I wonder how long it will take for my body to not associate Christmas with cold weather?  Or maybe the next time I'm in the States for Christmas I'll think, "What?  Can't be Christmas, I'm not sweating!"


Happy December!
JAE