the Story Behind atChristmastime.com

There's a story behind atChristmastime.com. Well, it's really a lifetime of many stories. Stay with me for a moment and I'll try to explain what I mean. I'm Donna (aka "Joan") and I'm the founder of atChristmastime.com.

I love Christmas and everything about Christmas

Okay, that's not entirely true. I'm a reasonably sane, rational adult... that's me and my niece, Amy, in the picture... Amy's bib says "I love Aunty Joan" and, not that I'm biased or anything, but isn't she just the cutest?? ...and I have my pet peeves about the Christmas holiday season, just like most folks. But I'll let you in on a secret.

Christmas is for kids

I'm quite sure that the biggest fan of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was my Dad. I think we got more of a kick out of watching him watch the show than we ever did out of the show itself. Of course, there was Cindy-Lou Who and the cute little doggie with the antlers strapped to his head, too. If Christmas is about presents, boxes and bags, then I suppose Christmas is for kids. But the Grinch found out that it was much more than that. "Welcome Christmas, While we stand, Heart to heart, And hand in hand..."

Grandma Mom got run over by a reindeer

With nine kids in our family, Mom typically disappeared the day after Halloween and reappeared Christmas morning, looking very much like she had been run over by something. If it wasn't a reindeer or two, it had to have been a Mac truck. I saw that same look in so many faces over the years, such a contrast against the brightly colored lights, gifts, and bows. It wasn't until I began working in retail stores that I understood that preparing for Christmas had somehow become more important than the sharing of Christmas.

Huckleberry Hound goes to the office

My co-workers plotted to destroy the tape recorder that began blasting Randy Travis' Christmas music through the office November 1st each year. "Shut that off," one would yell, "It sounds like Huckleberry Hound!" My purpose in life was to torment the folks around me with Christmas. I put up decorations, strung candy canes across desks, played Christmas music endlessly, planted anonymous gifts, and pretty much anything else I could think of. Well, it was never long before folks joined in. I think folks wanted to enjoy Christmas. But perhaps they had just forgotten how.

Why another Christmas site?

This site was a life time in the making. Not mine, but my mother's. My twin sister and I were blessed to know in later years that mom enjoyed spending Christmas with us because we made it fun ...you would see a picture of the three of us sitting with Santa but sister is hiding it now... Decorating homemade cookies, the night time trip to the Candy Cane Lane, "It's a Wonderful Life," "The Christmas Story," and "Miracle on 34th Street" (all three versions), the live Nativity pagent, sharing, talking and laughing. Simple things, but memories to cherish forever. "Welcome Christmas, While we stand, Heart to heart, And hand in hand..." It is my hope, then, that this site will make it easier for folks to share Christmas.