Christmas

So much for that holiday cheer...

Nothing can flood the old memory floodgates like putting up the Christmas tree. It's a lot of work heading out to the garage or up in the attic. It may take hours to haul all that Christmas cheer into the living room.

Have you ever wondered what Amarillo looked like at Christmas back in the 60's. It was lit up, and festive and everyone one loved the pretty lights as you made your way downtown.

We all know about the sneaky little Elf on the Shelf. He comes out to keep and eye on the kids before Santa comes and creates all sorts of havoc around the house. In one Amarillo resident's house there is not elf, but St. Nicholas has some fun adventures.

If you're looking for some last minute gifts, local is going to be your best bet. I learned the hard way.

Hear me out....Amarillo and the surrounding cities as the characters from A Christmas Vacation .

I am simple when it comes to Christmas shopping. It's not that I don't care. I do know my family and friends. It's usually the time constraint. I do know what my family loves. To be honest my daughter, like a lot of people, prefer and ask for gift cards.

Amarillo and Canyon have wonderful Christmas events, however, so do the other areas in the Texas Panhandle. Here are a few Christmas events you might want to make the short drive to enjoy.

If you're looking to add a country Christmas tradition to your list, then you must mark your calendar for the Palo Duro Cowboy Church's Cowboy Nativity.

This has been an event that has happened for several years now. It's one that warms the hearts of many. It's the Northside Toy Giveaway. It's one that is worked on for a long time to make this such a success.

If Amarillo had a Christmas wish list I imagine it would look a little like this.

Tamales are one of those foods I never ate growing up. I never even knew what a tamale was until I moved to Texas in the late eighties. Boy was I missing out.