My Cardboard Balcony

Beginning Of December by Belinda Roddie Golden lights and mistletoe hung in curtains in a row. Isn't it grand to sleep in the snow, where all your homesick longings grow?

I watched the bell ringers in the city square for about five minutes, then picked up my feet and walked to the Christmas tree that was being erected by the city council building. The first of December had arrived, and long before that, the lights had been hung, the wreaths had been hooked to the doors, and a certain cinnamon smell radiated from the restaurants and shops like a miniature, sweet sun around your head. I expected to taste peppermint in everything I ate and drank, and when it got chilly at night, I waited for the snow to fall.