Does anyone know the origin of the phrase “Christmas in July”? Nowadays, it is apparently when the Christmas items hit the shelves.

Have you ever tried to buy a bathing suit in July for a trip to the beach? It’s next to impossible to find one, but the fall decorations, followed closely by Christmas glitter, spill from the aisles.

About 20 years ago, my grandchildren spent every summer with us. Being a savvy Grandmam, I knew better than to get siblings at the same time, so I opted for cousins instead. It turned out to be an extremely wise choice, since the cousins lived in different states. At our home, they really got to know one another and created bonds that still exist as they raise their own children, still in separate states.

During the hottest days of the year, we spent one week working on our top-secret Christmas in July project. On Monday, we began making gifts, baking and decorating Christmas cookies, rehearsing the Christmas story and singing happy songs and carols.

We also went to the dollar store to get some new needles for Miss Minnie, who loved to piece quilts; new reading glasses for Mr. Jones; and a new wine glass featuring tropical fruit for Miss Cornelia, a bit of a closet drinker. The grandchildren carefully wrapped these treasures with a small amount of seasonal wrapping paper and several rolls of cellophane tape.

On Friday, we put our plan into action. Our neighborhood consisted mostly of people in their twilight years. We loved the expressions on their faces when we showed up unannounced, bearing gifts and goodies, singing carols and fun holiday songs, and sharing mugs of homemade hot cocoa that we had also brought along. Even more delightful were the faces of the children as they witnessed the joy and happiness their simple acts of service and kindness brought to these older folks.

Sometimes, we did what we dubbed “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” For this, we made small miniatures of the characters from the Christmas story. The children either colored them and carefully cut them out or made wee likenesses from that magical clay that hardened overnight.

My contribution was typing up verses from the Bible to go with each figure. There were, of course, the wise men, shepherds, angels, a camel, an ox, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and a tiny manger.

On the first of the 12 days, we delivered the manger, and on the last day, baby Jesus was finally presented. We attached the Bible verses, but the real fun was to keep them guessing where they came from. The grandchildren became masters of knocking and running away to elude getting caught in the act.

The Twelve Days of Christmas was often repeated during the days leading up to Dec. 25, too. Sometimes, we used the number of objects each day represented in place of the nativity replicas.

On the first day, it might have been a single candy bar, followed by a pair of shoelaces, a three-pack of microwave popcorn, a four-pack of light bulbs or toilet tissue, a package of gum, a six-pack of root beer, seven lollipops, eight candy canes, nine gift labels, 10 sugar cookies, 11 jelly beans and finally, a dozen eggs. It was a fun way to be creative.

Our grandchildren never became bored at our home. We always, always, always had something else to try. Often, the focus was on others rather than themselves.

If the year 2020 was a person, I’m pretty sure it would be Nellie Olson of “Little House on the Prairie” fame. It has been sneaky, underhanded and deceitful at best, with all the curveballs we’ve had thrown at us.

During this trying time of pandemic and whatever else is being thrown at us, Nellie Olson will win only if we let her. The very strange year 2020 will not quickly fade from anyone’s memory, but why not spend more time being grateful and reaching out to others instead of soaking up the misery of a solitary pity party?

Reach out. Be grateful. Serve someone else. That can be done without leaving the sanctity and security of your home. In this electronic age of communication overload, check on others; especially the elderly and infirm. Check on those single moms that pull double duty every day.

Start a new tradition, or more than one, or a few. During this time of uncertainty, become a giver and servant. So please enjoy July and celebrate Christmas every day. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

— A coal miner’s daughter born in Appalachia and schooled in Michigan, she currently lives in rural Athens. Hill describes herself as a cook and cookbook author, jack of all trades and master of none, a Christian wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She shares her home with her husband, Bob, and their spoiled-beyond-belief dog, Molly.