The lights are strung on the front of the house and porch and on the upper fence railing. The Nativity Set is out and lit. The inside decorations are here and there throughout the house and the Christmas tree is up. The lights are on the tree (only because it's a pre-lit tree) and the angel is on the top, but the ornaments are still in their box and have been for almost two weeks now. If I drag it out much longer (like a week,) I won't have to do it at all. This year, the lights will be all the decoration it needs and/or gets.
The shopping is done and the packages are on the living room floor. That would be a good thing except that they need to be wrapped and then packaged for shipping. Some only go down the road 50 miles or less and some go to SoCal and some need to go to Texas (from central Calif.). I really need to get this task together. Should have been done a week ago, at least the out of state pkgs.
My daughter had a great thought today. Let's celebrate the true Christmas on Christmas and the gift-giving, and partying, and fun at New Year's. Her logic is we could concentrate on what Christmas is really about and then the following week we'd be less busy plus we could take advantage of the post Christmas sales. Yeah, I know, the retailers would catch on and the post Christmas sales would be a week later too, not helping us at all. But it was a good thought.
I love Christmas, I have always loved Christmas. I have such good memories of Christmas' past. We didn't have much when we were kids, but Santa never let us down. We did have some tough Christmas' when my kids were young. I remember one year, in particular, we had the actual, for real, Charley Brown Christmas Tree. The first ornament we put on it, it just bent all the way over and the tip hit the table top; yet it was probably one of our best Christmas'. We'd make Candy Cane and other Christmas cookies and a pot of Wassail. My daughter carries on some of the old traditions, no Charley Brown trees, thank goodness!
When Larry and I were married, we would spend Christmas Eve at his folks'. All the family came together and Santa showed up for the little ones. It was homemade tamales, arroz, frijoles, y tortillas at midnight. We'd spend earlier Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with my family at my brother's home. He did a mean prime rib. Win / win!!
Maybe one reason I keep putting off decorating the tree this year is that I'm feeling just a little nostalgic. Before he got sick, after grandpa had strung the lights, it was my granddaughters' job to hang the ornaments and then we all had hot cocoa and sat around admiring their work.
Our last Christmas was about 3 1/2 weeks early. Grandpa was terminally ill, all the kids came for his birthday and while they were here, we got out the decorations and the dads strung the lights on the outside and the moms and grandkids put the garland on the stairwell and helped decorate the inside and we put up the tree and all the boys strung its lights and everyone got in on the act decorating it. It was the first week in December but it was our very best Christmas.
Well, so much for nostalgia, I guess I'd better put this away and go finish the Christmas presents so I can get them to the post office tomorrow.
And Susan, Happy Birthday!!! Your birthday gift is with your & Tim's Christmas gift ... I'm trying to get them to you before the New Year.
From Katie, P.I.T.A., and me,
Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!
I'm a bit behind this Christmas too. Christmas lights were up outside weeks ago, but I didn't do any decorating inside until yesterday. I don't put pressure on myself to do it, other than when the mood strikes me. If it's a "job" to get done, then it isn't a celebration.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you too!