I’m tempted to end that sentence with “here comes Santa Claus,” but having recently learned that there are no fewer than 14 different religious holidays in the month of December, I hesitate to concentrate on the fat man alone. 

Aside from Hanukkah, a slight awareness of Kwanzaa and peripherally, Diwali, I don’t know what those holidays are, and it sounds as though I have some digging to do before I can expound on that. 

Meanwhile, here comes winter, here comes darkness, here comes cocoa and here come snow days are all on the list. So is “Here comes oh my gosh I can’t believe it is so freakin’ cold out”—which is what I’m celebrating presently. And by “celebrating,” I mean “bemoaning my fate.” 

Don’t get me wrong, winter has its charms and I’m not immune to them, but I was a little behind the eight ball in preparing myself mentally for walking the dog. She, while of Cuban descent, loves all things winter—including the leisurely strolls she’s accustomed to when the thermometer is kinder to li’l old (and I do mean old) me. 

So it’s with That Dog Named Gidget that out I go, but at the end of the day, I make the final call. Although I had plans to swing by Callicoon, NY and the annual tree lighting last Saturday, I stepped outside and instantly changed my mind. “It’s just too darn cold, girl,” I rasped at the pup. “I’ll take you to the Bethel Woods Holiday Market tomorrow, I promise. During the day. Indoors.”

True to my word, I layered up the following day; threw a fashionable buffalo-plaid hoodie on the dog (don’t judge!) and warmed up the car long enough to scrape ice off the windshield and brave the elements in an effort to turn my frown upside down. I was confident that I’d run into neighbors, hear some holiday tunes and undoubtedly see some beautiful handmade gifts that would put me in the proper holiday mood. 

Although we live in a region rich with creativity, I’m still amazed by what clever and talented folks can do—and artist Anna Marie Prono is one such person. Her work shared a booth with others representing the Bethel Council of the Arts (BCA). 

Prono’s one-of-a-kind glass ornaments are called snowflakes, and appear to be insanely labor intensive. Starting with plain glass orbs, she lines them with a kaleidoscope of recycled holiday wrap and bits of glitter—all “done from the inside out.” Spotting a sign declaring that a portion of all sales are donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, I felt compelled to ask why.

After telling me that she has lived with the chronic neurological condition for more than 30 years, Prono went on to explain that MS is “considered a snowflake disease, because no two people manifest the same symptoms and no two cases are alike.” 

I hear that gift-giving is in the air. Check out her work on Instagram, where’s she’s @mspro27. Truly a labor of love. 

In the adjacent booth, artist Ruth Anna Loria was happy to show me the intricate lariats that she creates by weaving metallic thread imported from France and Belgium. “I put the beads on, take each individual link and crochet them into a long chain, which results in a necklace one can wear all sorts of ways—all original, all crafted with my own two hands.” She’s known as @ruthannat on the Instagram. Take a look. These pieces are seriously one of a kind.

Speaking of being old, I have plenty of “stuff” and have decreed that “If I can’t eat it, drink it or wear it, I don’t need it.” Ignoring my own rule, I’m now kicking myself in the you-know-what, having walked away from “Sweet Kee’s” founder Keeva Dedewa without a bag full of her hand-crafted (dare I say artisanal?) lollipops, which made my mouth water. 

I was so intent on taking a photo and perusing the array of unusual flavors (such as watermelon, pina colada and eggnog), that I snapped a pic and left without snapping up some lollipops. Thankfully, like the others, we can find her on Insta @sweetkees—and there’s a dot com with the same name, for old guys like me.

I’m still thinking about the watermelon pops, aside from her small batch jams and handmade candies. Think man, think! 

Arriving home and feeling ever so slightly festive, I hauled out a minimum of buffalo plaid holiday decorations and gave my mantel a manly facelift for the month. Meanwhile, I still have to bone up on Bodhi Day and Our Lady of Guadalupe Day. So when someone says “Happy Holidays” I just say “Thank you.” It’s not a war on Christmas—it’s called respect. In my humble opinion.

For more on the Holiday Market, now presented in conjunction with “Peace, Love, Lights,”  go to www.bethelwoodscenter.org. They’re @bethelwoodscenter on the ‘gram—for you hip folks out there.

For more about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, visit www.nationalmssociety.org.