‘Tis the season to be busy ~ Fa la la la la, fa la la la ~ Run around until you’re dizzy ~Fa la la la la, la la la la ~

Setting up the Yuletide tree ~ Fa la la la la, la la la la ~ Hanging lights for all to see ~ Fa la la la la, la la la la ~

Baking up some sweets and treats ~ Fa la la la la, la la la la ~ Family favorites can’t be beat ~ Fa la la la la, fa la la la ~

Raise a glass (or two) of cheer ~ Fa la la la la, la la la la ~ To memories that will last for years ~ Fa la la la la, la la la lahhhh!  - 

There’s just something about December that beckons the spirit of one of Zeus’ daughters in us. In my case, for the moment, that would be Erato, muse of lyric poetry! And, it’s just fun. When you’re not decorating, baking, cooking, shopping, wrapping, and taking care of the day-to-day business, there are so many great ways to chill in the region.

Take part of a day over this last weekend before the Christmas holiday to relax, spend some time outdoors as a family – and bring the pupsters, too! Bundle up and take a walk with the kids on one of the Boothbay Region Land Trust preserves. At Oak Point Farm (60 Samoset Road in Boothbay Harbor) the Story Trail read aloud book is about two cardinals, “Red & Lulu.” Head out to Ocean Point or Barrett’s Park. If your kids are among the younger set, there’s always the playground at Clifford Park.

If you haven’t done the holiday drive at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG), visit https://bit.ly/GardensAglowTickets. Fill up a thermos of hot chocolate, pack up the family, again the pups can come too! That’s Thursday through Sunday.

The Boothbay Winter Festival on the Boothbay Common affords a light show of a different kind. Check out the vendors and order from one of the food trucks, then sit outside surrounded by the lights and colors of the holiday season.

And while we’re on the subject of lights, friends and neighbors and businesses are entered in the Gardens Aglow Lighting Contest. Download the map at www.mainegardens.org. Be sure to have a colored pen or pencil (it’s all about color now, isn’t it?) to note the family favorites and then vote for those favorites in both categories by using the three-digit code assigned to each entry and sending to 207-367-4422!

As fun as being with the family can be, it’s important for parents to have some “us’ time. How about dinner out? That always sounds good, right? Dinner and a show, you say? Our Harbor Theater over in the Meadow Mall is open Wednesday through Sunday. They’ve got “Julia,” starting Friday, Dec. 17. And, how appropriate given this is a food-oriented season as well as a season of lights.

Curl up on the sofa in front of the Christmas tree and pop a classic holiday film into the DVD player. We all have our favorites: “It’s A Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed – for me, something would be missing if I didn’t watch it. “White Christmas” with the singing and dancing Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby; “Miracle on 34th Street,” and my mother’s favorite, “Meet Me in St. Louis.” There’s something about these B&W movies going back to the 1940s – perhaps it’s the memories of watching them as a kid with my family. Nostalgia is in the air this season, too, isn’t it?

Contemporary holiday classics for the family could very well include “Home Alone,” “Christmas Vacation,” “The Polar Express,” and “Elf.” And, in our family, the not-so-kid-appropriate Billy Bob Thornton film “Bad Santa” is a must.

Animated classics abound … “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (this Tim Burton film happens to be the theme of my neighbor, Judy Coady’s entry in that Christmas lights contest. And, it’s great BTW and I get to see it every night).

It is a bit of a stretch to say (maybe), but here goes anyway: All of these films are represented by three muses: Thaleia (muse of comedy) and Melpomene (muse of tragedy), Terpsichore (muse of dance), and Clio (muse of history).

If Zeus’ daughter Urania, the muse of astronomy calls, you’ll find yourself outside in the evening looking up (on a clear night) to the stars. No doubt you’re first identifiable constellation will be Orion. Others to look for around him are Taurus, Gemini, Canis Major and Minor … check this out: https://www.skymania.com/wp/northern-hemisphere-sky-chart or there are many apps for your phone to download to identify the constellations in the night skies.

And, what would this season be without the music, the songs? Enter Polyhymnia, muse of sacred hymns. “Ave Maria,” “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “Carol of the Bells,” “O Holy Night,” would be among those Christmas songs.

Sing, sing, sing! It will lift your spirit and it’s a fun way to make new memories with family and friends singing around a piano, or with some or your guitar-playing friends.

Read or re-read holiday classics as a family; a read aloud time around the fireplace or wood stove, or just all cuddled up together on the floor: “A Christmas Carol,” “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” and J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Letters From Father Christmas.” We all have our favorites. Yule/Winter Solstice books could include “The Return of Light: Twelve Tales;” and “The Winter Solstice.”

Whether you celebrate the rebirth of the sun or the birth of the son of God, or both, take a few steps back from the craziness of the season … it may be the only way to remember what it’s really all about: love, light and loved ones.