Did the grinch steal our Christmas this year?

Five days into December, I still don't feel like its almost Christmas… The weather is wet and not cold. Every morning, I sniff the air for the December chill/Siberian wind smell, but it smells like July.  The chirping sounds from migratory birds that I used to hear come December are also absent.  I've put up our Christmas tree, done with my Christmas gift shopping and is almost done wrapping them, but these also failed to liven up my Christmas spirit.  The radio stations are not even playing Christmas songs too much these days.  If you look around the metro, Christmas decorations are sparse or sad-looking. The malls are packed but if you look carefully, very few people are making purchases.  Is it just me or Christmas seems to be missing this year?   Read more... (573 words, 1 image, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

12 Days of Christmas’ items would cost $86,609

Given the economic downturn, even the most romantic might balk at the $86,609 price tag for the items in the carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

That's this year's cost, according to the annual "Christmas Price Index" compiled by PNC Wealth Management, which tallies the single partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming, purchased repeatedly as the song suggests. The price is up $8,508 or 10.9 percent, from $78,100 last year.

"True loves may take it on the chin for a peck on the cheek," said Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investment for PNC Wealth Management, which has been calculating the cost of Christmas since 1984.

In this tight economy, what's a romantic to do?