Brightening my Christmas spirit

Christmas has become a lot of drudgery since I've grown up and am not a kid excited for Santa anymore.  I've complained in the past about shopping struggles, time constraints, and general malaise.  I went through those frustrations again yesterday as I wait for a few people to send me their Christmas wish lists so I can finish my shopping.  I even started to draft a complaint blog again about Christmas.  During my busy workday yesterday, I stopped by the lunchroom and looked at the local section of the newspaper.  This article was in it, and I suddenly have plans for Saturday:

Article © Saint John Telegraph Journal as published Nov 27 2012

I am beyond excited about going to this.  Part of it is going back to what feels like a simpler time, another part is due to my increased appreciation for historical items/lifestyle through my family photo project.  I have tons of cards and postcards from the early 20th century.  Being an old city and province, Saint John and NB should have lots to offer in the archives.  I can't wait to look at the Christmas things they'll have on display.

Another reason for my nostalgia is that like many, I still consider the archive building to be THE museum.  Since moving to Market Square, I have felt disconnected to the museum, but didn't have any particular reason to visit the archives.  One of the best outings we ever had during my school years was a Gr. 2 trip to this museum before Christmas. I don't remember exactly all that we did or saw, but I do remember singing Christmas songs and having really enjoyed it. It's one of those fuzzy memories that comes with an overall feeling of "best times ever".  I don't expect to be singing Christmas carols or re-enacting a childhood memory, but I can't wait to go back to THE museum and have a new and interesting Christmas experience.  This is just what I need to boost my Christmas spirit.

UPDATE: The event turned out to be somewhat disappointing. Most of what was offered were menus, letters, cards, and advertising.  While interesting, I had hoped for ornaments, pictures, and a bit more.  They had apple cider and cookies for us, and gave a quick tour of the archives and library areas.  In the end, I probably have a lot of similar items in my stash from Parkers Ridge.  It did give me an idea to use some of that stash for some decorating, though.  I also found out that they house a lot of NB vital statistics, which may come in handy for my family history/photo project.