SANDPOINT — It’s hard to believe that Christmas is a less than 10 days away.

Like a lot of us, the days and weeks and months of 2020 have blurred together. My mind says I have another few weeks — if not a few months — to do my Christmas shopping, dig the tree out of the attic, put some Christmas music on and annoy the cat while bring all of my many decorations downstairs and begin the hours-long process of Christmas-a-fying the house.

(Of course, given Franklin T. Benjamin's exuberant nature, he's just as like to join in the fun and attempt to climb the tree, consider the ornaments — some of which I've had since I was a kid — as his personal toys to be batted around the house.)

The calendar, however, begs to differ with my mental clock. I say I have more time to complete my holiday chores. The calendar snickers — if such a thing were possible, and in 2020, it just may well be — and says Christmas is coming soon and I’d best get my act together and realize that yes, yes it is mid-December.

I counter that I still have shopping to do. The tree is upstairs, still in its box. Christmas decorations and garlands are likewise in their boxes, tucked next to the tree, waiting for me to put them up and make the house festive and merry.

The lights around town are cheery and bright. The town Christmas tree shines bright in the Jeff Jones Town Square. Homes are decorated for the season and their bright lights and festive decorations never fail to make me smile when I drive past.

But my brain wants to believe it is still summer, that snow isn’t falling, and that there isn’t still too much to do before the Jolly Old Elf makes his appearance in my house.

It may be that others are feeling the same as it seems donations are running a bit slow in the Sandpoint Lions’ Toys for Tots campaign.

If you have donated, you are amazing and wonderful, and your generosity will help children in our community have a merry Christmas. This year, the Sandpoint Lions have received more than 300 applications for their assistance in helping our youngest members of the community have a merry Christmas.

If you haven’t donated, if you can, would you please consider doing so?

Today's donations total $2,717 bringing the total amount of donations received to date to $23,427.75 of the $50,000 goal set by the Lions for the annual Christmas campaign.

Generous donations were received from Donald and Lori Morris, $100; Robert L. Gooby, $250; Martha Brow (in loving memory of my son Frank), $100; Wood's Meat Processing, Inc., $250; Elizabeth Fulling, $20; Ron and MaryAnn Giddings, $100; Lynda and John Gillham, $300; Jay and Linda Jones, $200; Danielle and Yvonne Hull, $100;

Dennis and Karen Harwood, $100; Tom and Barbara Spade, $100; Wood's Crushing and Hauling, Inc., $400; Bill, Nancy, and Steve Miller (in loving memory of Jennifer), $400; Mike Winslow and Linda Derr, $100; and Gayl and Kevin Downard, $75; as well as from local coin jars: Tam O Shanter, $31; Dairy Depot, $11.75; and Mr. Sub, $80.

The Toys for Tots program provides free new toys for children living in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, from Sandpoint to Clark Fork and all points in-between. A Christmas dinner for the family is also provided. If you know someone, or need help yourself, the Lions are taking applications for the 2020 Toys for Tots program.

Applications are available at the Lions Den, 609 S. Ella St., Sandpoint, on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; online at the Sandpoint Lions Facebook page, facebook.com/SandpointLionsClub; or at Bonner Community Food Bank, 1707 Culvers Drive, Sandpoint. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, Dec. 14.

Masks are required to enter the Lions Den building or those dropping them off may also place them into the red box next to the door.

Toys may be dropped off at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint; Farmhouse Restaurant, 477227 U.S. 95, Ponderay; Columbia Bank — Sandpoint branch, 414 Church St.; and Ponderay branch, 300 Kootenai Cutoff Road; Walmart, 476999 U.S. 95, Ponderay; and North 40, 477181 U.S. 95, Ponderay.

There are a host of coin jars around the community where spare change can be donated. In addition, monetary donations may be dropped off at both branches of Columbia Bank and the Bonner County Daily Bee during normal business hours. Donations may be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, Box 414, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Donations made by check are preferred. Be sure to include a note with your check indicating that it is a Toys for Tots donation. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, please include a note. If the donation is being made in someone’s name, be sure to also include a note.

Information: Sandpoint Lions Club, 208-263-4118

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee. com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.