I wasn't going to do it
I really wasn't in the mood.
In spite of Christmas decorations being up all over town, I just wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit.
I always put off putting up the tree until at least the first of December, it's kind of a tradition in our family to not put up the tree until the November birthdays are over.
Fair enough too.
But this year December 1st came and went and the tree stayed in its box up in the wardrobe.
The tinsel and baubles stayed in their boxes too, up in the wardrobe.
I felt I just couldn't be bothered.
Until yesterday.
I was outside looking at the shadecloth on my back porch, checking for rips or holes after the big winds we've been having, but from the outside, not inside the porch, so I was right next to the front porch of my new back neighbour.
(The young man who lived there was moved out some time ago, to a more supervised facility as he was unable to properly care for himself.)
Anyway, she popped out of her door and made her way over to me, we introduced ourselves and she invited me in. She's been quite ill and has trouble walking around much so doesn't get out and about. I suspect she's lonely, so of course I went in.
P showed me around her flat, the layout is different from mine, (apparently they are all a little different, in the interests of individuality I suppose) and I noticed she already had a Christmas tree up and decorated, with stained glass ornaments!, and tinsel hanging everywhere.
I stayed quite a while and talked much more than I usually do.
When I finally said goodbye and came home, I found myself up on a ladder getting down the tree box and all the ornaments.
Well, the tree is up, it's decorated and I have tinsel hanging across a couple of doorways.
I got so carried away doing it all, (3 hours), I almost forgot to have dinner.
Luckily, by the time I'd finished and swept up stray bits of tinsel, I only had to get the left over cannelloni out of the fridge and zap it in the microwave. Then I microwaved some broccoli and dinner was on the table.
In spite of Christmas decorations being up all over town, I just wasn't feeling the Christmas spirit.
I always put off putting up the tree until at least the first of December, it's kind of a tradition in our family to not put up the tree until the November birthdays are over.
Fair enough too.
But this year December 1st came and went and the tree stayed in its box up in the wardrobe.
The tinsel and baubles stayed in their boxes too, up in the wardrobe.
I felt I just couldn't be bothered.
Until yesterday.
I was outside looking at the shadecloth on my back porch, checking for rips or holes after the big winds we've been having, but from the outside, not inside the porch, so I was right next to the front porch of my new back neighbour.
(The young man who lived there was moved out some time ago, to a more supervised facility as he was unable to properly care for himself.)
Anyway, she popped out of her door and made her way over to me, we introduced ourselves and she invited me in. She's been quite ill and has trouble walking around much so doesn't get out and about. I suspect she's lonely, so of course I went in.
P showed me around her flat, the layout is different from mine, (apparently they are all a little different, in the interests of individuality I suppose) and I noticed she already had a Christmas tree up and decorated, with stained glass ornaments!, and tinsel hanging everywhere.
I stayed quite a while and talked much more than I usually do.
When I finally said goodbye and came home, I found myself up on a ladder getting down the tree box and all the ornaments.
Well, the tree is up, it's decorated and I have tinsel hanging across a couple of doorways.
I got so carried away doing it all, (3 hours), I almost forgot to have dinner.
Luckily, by the time I'd finished and swept up stray bits of tinsel, I only had to get the left over cannelloni out of the fridge and zap it in the microwave. Then I microwaved some broccoli and dinner was on the table.
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Good for you. Doesn't it feel wonderful when the decorations are up?
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful River. I bet it looks fabulous.
ReplyDeleteLovely posting. My lights have been up a few days.
ReplyDeleteI guess your infusion of Christmas cheer was just meant to be a few days late.
ReplyDeleteNow you have company and the wardrobe is lonely. It will be a warm and cheerful addition to your house. In my purging of junk, I threw away all the Christmas ornaments. Now I remember standing next to my son, and hearing him say, "You don't want these, do you?" I think I answered, "No." Too bad.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! We haven't put up ours yet, but hopefully this weekend!
ReplyDeleteNothing up here yet, but soon, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of your new neighbour's stained glass ornaments.
I hate the new crappy decorations and much prefer old style glass ornaments. For me I guess it goes back to when I was a kid... I did find a way out of having to do the whole Christmas decorating thing though. When my daughter moved back after many years away I gave her my tree and ornaments so she could make her new home all Christmassy for the kids...I guess I COULD have bought a new one. :-)
ReplyDeleteDelores; the tree brings a smile to my face every time I look at it, but the tinsel is only stuck up with Blu-Tac and keeps falling down. I'm going to have to buy and put up some tiny hooks to hold it.
ReplyDeleteThe Farmer's Wife; the tree is absolutely covered with every ornament I own and looks gorgeous. I haven't photographed it yet.
R.H. I don't have lights, not even on the tree, I find the flashing irritating. I'd like to put lights outside some day, but nothing that flashes on and off.
Joanne Noragon; my Chrissy spirit hasn't fully arrived yet, but it's getting there.
Manzanita; there's plenty of time to buy some and all the stores are having %off sales this close to Christmas.
Wendy; welcome to drifting. You don't have too many weekends left...
Elephant's Child; they are lovely little ornaments, if her tree was in the window, the sun would shine on them and make rainbows on her wall.
Tempo; I remember the old glass ornaments my mum had when we were little, beautiful, but so very fragile. There are some nice things around these days and they are a lot less fragile. If you get a few good quality ones each year, you soon build up a collection. Now go out and get a tree.
You have inspired me. The Christmas spirit has been lacking with both of us this year but today I got a wish list for our eldest great-grandie and I ordered a few items online and suddenly I realised Christmas is not far away and I wrote my first card to send. Last year I bought a tiny Norfolk Island pine and we repotted it and now it is much bigger (about 3')so it will be decorated soon. In the UK the tradition is/was not to put up decorations until Christmas Eve and then take them down on 12th night. I think I need something showing before that. I can no longer put up tinsel etc but somehow I will persuade my MOH to lend a hand. Yes, it really is beginning to feel a little more like Christmas.
ReplyDeleteA respectable woman like you should be careful about using the word flashing. Just a tip.
ReplyDeleteThere are streets here in Melbourne known for their Christmas display, houses all lit up; Ivanhoe boulevard is a kids' favourite. Down the road from where I live the Williamstown Strand is good, and some people around the corner from me made their house look like Las Vegas. Unfortunately they've sold up and moved on.
Nothing lasts, I've come to know that; thus in every joy, even birth, there's melancholy.
You've done better than us - three miniature red Christmas trees that slot together and are popped up on top of the bookcase!
ReplyDeleteThree hours? Bet it looks awesome. You were inspired!
ReplyDeleteGood for you. And you're ahead of me. I'm about halfway through, but I decided my car needed washing more than the rest of the decorations needed to go up. Now that the car's all clean and shiny, the rest of the decorations can go up on Monday.
ReplyDeleteCudos, I think too often as we get older, and our kids move on, we use the excuse that Crimbo and the decy's are just for them so there's no point, no point in putting them up, no point in getting in the mood, sure who are we going to be seeing and partying with, aren't we all now alone? I believe we're a little wrong in that, I know we don't all celebrate, it depends on what you believe, but crimbo doesn't end with the kiddies, there was a time we loved it too, seeing the lights, and tinsel, fun with the tree, cooking the dinner while drinking the sherry, visiting the folks, friends etc. The kids may be gone, we could be living alone, but that's no reason to forget, or to not buy ourselves little gifts, hell with my memory, and some of the memories of people I know, if I buy a gift in November, wrap it, put it under the tree in december, by the time it comes round to opening it, it's a welcome surprise! Just as if Santa did bring it lol. My friends come over one night (yule) and we celebrate, have one or two drinks, some finger food, and exchange small gifts, nothing tooo big or expensive, which is lovely. I do get where some are coming from with the bah humbug just for kids routine, but then...I'm just a big ol kid at heart lol. Happy whatever and enjoy.
ReplyDelete