2. If you do your shopping in a mall, you deserve what you get. There is life beyond Robinson center, but to get to it you have to park on a regular street, walk and breathe air that comes from the sky and not air-conditioning units.

3. Put an Advent wreath at your kitchen table and use it.

4. Don't send Christmas cards to people you see every day. Send them to people you never see. With all the extra time you have, you can then write them a nice note or letter. Remember the cardinal rule: Everyone likes to get mail.

5. Never, repeat, never say the most famous Christmas excuse for losing your temper: "You made me do it." Nobody can make you do anything. If you lost it, it's your fault and no one else's. Don't use your lack of patience, understanding, etc. as your excuse to lash out at someone.

6. Don't buy any gift that uses electricity, batteries or fuel. Now you're stuck and have to think for a while. You'll be surprised at what you can come up with by Christmas.

7. Send one person a letter telling them how much they really mean to you. Maybe it's your wife or husband, parent, favorite uncle or aunt, best friend, neighbor or bartender. Doesn't matter, just send it.

8. Don't you dare take down that tree on Dec. 26th, the season only begins then. You think it's a coincidence that 12 (as in 12 days of Christmas) PLUS Dec 25 = Epiphany.

9. Remember the poor. You think about them, offer some assistance, you suddenly are reminded what Christmas is all about.

10. Silence. The best gift you can give yourself for Christmas and Advent. Find your quiet place and time. Both will be hard to come by, both will be elusive. Seek after it. Struggle to hold on to it. It should be yours. You deserve it. It just might put this Advent thing in perspective.

And remember two things: Jesus is the reason for the season, and it ain't Christmas till it's Christmas!