Thanksgiving is behind us, and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably still full from Thursday’s meal.

With the turkey now locked away in a zip-top bag and the Detroit Lions’ annual Thanksgiving defeat all said and done, that means just one thing: it’s almost Christmas.

You’ve all heard it before: “Christmas comes earlier every year.”

It doesn’t come any earlier; people just prepare for it sooner.

Many people in my neighborhood already had their Christmas decorations hung before I bought my pizza for yesterday’s Iron Bowl.

I’ll spend the bulk of today working to decorate the outside of our home with lights and a giant inflatable Santa. My hope is to be finished before Sunday.

Speaking of Santa, the Big Red Machine himself stopped by our office Wednesday to renew his subscription.

He stopped by here on his way to speak with a few Elves on a Shelf. He was getting a preliminary report. So if you’ve been bad this year, you’d better get to work. You’ve got about a month to right those wrongs.

Just before Christmas, the Demopolis Times will publish its annual Letters to Santa section. In it will be all the Letters to Santa that have been mailed to this newspaper.

Santa loves this edition because it lets him make those last-minute additions to his sleigh bound for Demopolis. Having just received his renewal notice, Santa stopped by to make sure he got that edition mailed to his home at the North Pole.

Get your pens, pencils and crayons ready, kids, and write him a letter. Parents, you can mail those letters to The Demopolis Times, c/o Santa Claus, P.O. Box 860, Demopolis AL, 36732.

If you’d prefer, Santa has his own email address here at the Times. You can email your letter to santa@demopolistimes.com

Rest assured, children, all letters received by the office will find their way to Santa Claus, and I’m sure he’ll give them great consideration as he evaluates whether you’ve been naughty or nice.

So, if you’re one of the kids who didn’t get a favorable report from your Elf on the Shelf, you’ve got some making up to do.

Jason Cannon is publisher of the Demopolis Times.