It's beginning to look too much like Christmas

It began at 12:01 a.m. on November 1st. All at once, the witches and goblins were out of the windows and off the shelves at CVS, replaced by dwarf-sized Santas, hideous offbrand toys, wrapping paper, cheezy decorations, and - but of course - all sorts of candy. Because just as every pop singer in the biz puts out a Christmas album, every candy-maker brings out special versions of their goodies for the holidays. Sometimes it's just a matter of packaging: those Hershey's Kisses in Santa caps are just Hershey's Kisses in Santa caps. But those Dove dark chocolate/peppermint chocolates wrapped like little gifts. Well, they are little gifts. Which is why Dove rolls them out for the holidays. And calls them Dove Gifts. And in between something-just-change-the-packaging and something-special-for-the-holidays come items like red and green M&M's.

It's not just CVS, of course.

My grocery store is well into the spirit of the season, already busting out the packages of lousy but festive looking cookies, fruit baskets, tiny little fir trees in the flower department.

I haven't been into Macy's - need to go basis only - but their all red lights Christmas tree has been glaring at me for a while.

The other day, I dropped into Home Goods, hoping that by chance they had a small orange cylindrical pillow that I wasn't able to find on Wayfair - despite their carrying something along the order of 14 million orange pillows. 

But, no. 

There were plenty of pillows, but they were all of the "Naughty or Nice," "Home for the Holidays", and "Here Comes Santa Claus" variety. 

I poked around a bit, and everywhere I looked, what to my wondering eyes did appear were all sorts of decorations. 

Santas in all shapes and sizes. Fake pointsettias. Red metal dump trucks - vintage (like me) late 40's - hauling Christmas trees. 

Christmas-themed cookware. Glassware. Serving dishes. Full sets of dishware. (It's not just Home Goods. Was it in Anthropologie that I saw Christmas spatulas and measuring spoons?)

Who needs all this crap?

I'm a good one to talk.

Each year, I bring out my Christmas platters and bowls. My Christmas pickle dish, the pitchers. I'm pretty eclectic in my tastes. I've got a few gorgeous pieces of Villeroy and Boch. Plenty of Spode. A number of Nicholas Mosse pottery pieces from Ireland - the reindeer theme. I've got coasters. Candle holders. A festive table cloth. 

And don't get me started on my decorations. I don't think I go overboard. But I've got nearly 200 ornaments, and all sorts of objets that I scatter around. 

Back at Home Goods, on Dasher, on Dancer! To the gift wrap, bows, ribbon, and boxes. The candies, the cookies, the red and green popcorn in 2 gallon tubs.

Did I leave empty handed? What do you think, I'm some sort of Scrooge or something?

I bought a couple of bags of Christmas-themed pasta before I could dashaway all.

It's not that I don't like Christmas.

I actually like putting my tree up and enjoy my annual visit with my ornaments. Some were on the tree at our house when I was growing up. A couple are from my grandmother. I have ornaments that were gifts, and many that I've picked up in my travels. 

I like hosting Christmas Eve for my family, especially running the Yankee Swap.

I love having the lights up on the Boston Common. If it has to be dark, cold, and winter, let there be lights! They now keep them up until the end of January, and I'm all for it.

But there is something wretchedly excessive about the entire commercial enterprise that is the holiday season, and the wretched excess is either getting worse every year, or my patience is just wearing thin. 

Anyway, I'm pretty much done my Christmas shopping, so I can absolutely stay out of the stores between now and Christmas. 

The day after, I will no doubt be buying next year's cards at half price, and picking up a roll or two of wrapping paper. 

Then I'll sit back and wait for the stores to drive me crazy with New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter crap. 

Not that there's anything wrong with any one thing. It's just the overwhelming "wherever you look there's something holiday-related"-ness about it. 

There's really such a thing as it's beginning to look too much like Christmas.