Welcome back to another bloghop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.

Don’t forget to click the link to see what everyone else has to say on this week’s subject. It’s at the end of my post.

It’s only October, but stores are filling with Christmas merchandise. Have you started to get ready for the holidays?

October, you say. You’re late to the party. We’ve had Christmas merchandise on sale here since August. And, according to reports in the news, price reductions are already happening.

It’s all a bit early for me.

To be clear, I’m not one of those “Bah Humbug,” Christmas haters. I love this time of the year. I get the fact that it’s all about the children (I’m still one myself), and that it’s a ray of hope in our increasingly miserable lives, but when the temperature is 20°C, and it’s bright sunshine?

For me, Christmas is a time of short days, cold frosty mornings and warm fires.

My daughter, who lives just outside Brisbane, agrees with me. After nearly twenty years, she still can’t get used to the idea of Christmas at midsummer.

Controversy Time: your views might vary.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer to get the Halloween and November the fifth celebrations out of the way before I start thinking about Christmas.

I think the government should legislate to ban the sale of Christmas-themed items until after we’ve celebrated Guy Fawkes night. Likewise, the Christmas music that deafens you in stores, not till there’s a “D” in the month, please.

With one exception.

Food.

If we spot a bargain on something comestible and extravagant that we would enjoy at Christmas, we’ll grab it and stick it in the freezer.

We both love a mince pie and usually make ours; however, our local Aldi supermarket (other retailers are available) always has some interesting flavours on early sale, and I don’t mind giving one of them a try.

Purely in the name of research.

I suspect it’s all a ploy to see which ones will be popular before mass production starts. Whatever, this year’s best-looking flavour had Irish Cream liqueur in the topping, and we just had to try a pack with our morning coffee.

Were they worth it? Oh yes.

What do you think about this week’s subject?

Let me know by leaving me a comment.

While you’re here, please click the InLinkz link to check out what my fellow writers have to say about this week’s topic.

I’ll be back with another post on Thursday. See you then. Meanwhile, have a great week.

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