Teri’s Notebook: Christmas in Carson City

I read a post on Facebook today. It said, “I wish Christmas could feel the same way it did when I was a child.”

It instantly took me back to the feeling of magic and wonder I had as a kid when the tree would go up in the living room and it seemed the whole world was aglow with twinkling lights.

As the gifts would start piling up under the tree, it wasn’t even so much what was actually inside them as it was about the anticipation of opening them.

As you get older, however, the Christmas season takes a shift.

You worry about the weather. Is it safe to drive? Am I dressed for the snow and mud?

You worry about the bills. How much can I afford to spend on gifts this year? Will my family feel loved if I can’t give as much as I’d like?

There’s guilt. There’s so much suffering in the world, how can I help? Am I missing the true meaning of Christmas?

The wonder of the season seems to evolve into a feeling of overwhelm as the years go by.

So I tried to find a list of quick and attainable ways to recapture that feeling.

The December Wine Walk 1-5 p.m. today is a good way to connect with community, but also to check out the downtown shops. Some of my greatest, most-enduring gifts were purchased along Curry Street.

Later tonight is the annual Holiday Crawl, where downtown restaurants will offer specials on signature foods and drinks.

The crawl benefits Holiday with a Hero, which pairs children in need with cops, firefighters, servicemen or other volunteers to spend $100 on Christmas gifts at Walmart for themselves and their families.

It is a good way to have some fun, while at the same time, providing a service to those in need. Giving is a sure-fire way to catch some Christmas cheer.

If you’re looking for that elusive “spirit” of Christmas,

Carson City Parks, Recreation & Open Space may have the event for you.

The Homestead Holidays at Silver Saddle Ranch will be 5-8 p.m. nightly Dec. 13-15. It’ll be an old-fashioned holiday celebration with handcrafted decorations, holiday lights ornamenting historic ranch buildings, and family activities for all ages.

Friends of Silver Saddle Ranch will be offering horse-drawn wagon rides and Kiwanis will be cooking chili. There will also be decorated antique tractors, local craft vendors, live music, Santa and more.

Entrance to the event is free, with minimal fees or donations for some of the activities. Parking at Silver Saddle Ranch requires driving on a dirt road for a short distance. Additional/alternative parking and shuttle is available at Eagle Valley Middle School.

For information, visit www.carson.org/parksandrec.

Maybe a trip to the North Pole will ignite the holiday fire. The Polar Express will get you there, with hot chocolate and cookies, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Christmas Eve.

The First United Methodist Church gives you a chance to see the Nativity come to life.

From Carson Street, turn west on Fifth and north on Division to see 10 scenes depicting the traveled road to Bethlehem, which include both live actors and animals.

There is no cost, but donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted for those in need.

It will run 6:30-8 p.m. Dec. 14-15.

For a quick fix, just take a drive through downtown Carson City. The lights and decoration are sure to boost your holiday mood.