One year ago today we were frantically putting the finishing touches on preparations for our trip to Thailand.
As I explained last year, we always have the house decorated for Christmas when the girls come home for Thanksgiving so that decorating the trees with them, over their break, puts the finishing touch on everything and they return for the remaining semester all buoyed and looking forward to finishing up and coming home for Christmas. I also explained that the timing of our trip, leaving on Nov 4 and returning mere days before Thanksgiving, meant that the house had to be completely decorated by Halloween. I even mentioned that I was keeping the curtains closed so that my neighbors wouldn't think I am insane. I posted lots of pictures of our house decorated so you understand why the process had to be done before Halloween - not the few days we had upon our return (never mind the jet lag from a trip somewhere that was 12 hours off our time zone).
So, one year ago today my house was well and fully covered in Christmas Fairy barf.
Today? no sign of Christmas (of course as it should be in a sane household) - but frankly no sign of Christmas spirit either. At least in me. I know the middle two are listening to Christmas music at school, the eldest is in full swing making her gifts, and the youngest is wanting me to start decorating and playing music. Normally this week I would begin the process by - yes playing Christmas music - but also setting out my collection of Christmas cookie jars. Not in the mood. Just not.
Hoping that after tomorrow I will be in the mood...
As I explained last year, we always have the house decorated for Christmas when the girls come home for Thanksgiving so that decorating the trees with them, over their break, puts the finishing touch on everything and they return for the remaining semester all buoyed and looking forward to finishing up and coming home for Christmas. I also explained that the timing of our trip, leaving on Nov 4 and returning mere days before Thanksgiving, meant that the house had to be completely decorated by Halloween. I even mentioned that I was keeping the curtains closed so that my neighbors wouldn't think I am insane. I posted lots of pictures of our house decorated so you understand why the process had to be done before Halloween - not the few days we had upon our return (never mind the jet lag from a trip somewhere that was 12 hours off our time zone).
So, one year ago today my house was well and fully covered in Christmas Fairy barf.
Today? no sign of Christmas (of course as it should be in a sane household) - but frankly no sign of Christmas spirit either. At least in me. I know the middle two are listening to Christmas music at school, the eldest is in full swing making her gifts, and the youngest is wanting me to start decorating and playing music. Normally this week I would begin the process by - yes playing Christmas music - but also setting out my collection of Christmas cookie jars. Not in the mood. Just not.
Hoping that after tomorrow I will be in the mood...
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"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
don't draw your inspiration from me.
Every year I ask the husband if we can just skip Christmas. And every year he says he doesn't care. And then every year, his mom guilt-trips him into decorating.
I'm of the opinion there's no point. MIL moved out. We never have the kid. Why put forth the effort on what is increasing a sad, lonely, inane holiday?
welllll, generally i really do love christmas - and yes, for sure children are a large part of it. but not the whole of it.
it is just, to me, the older i get the quicker it comes around again. i've been lobbying for every other year...
and this year the conditions under which we, as a nation, are operating are just too grim.
and i spent so much of the year working to clean and improve, at this moment the idea of pulling out all the clutter feels more like clutter than celebration.
but i'm going to try.
after tomorrow.
I hope to get in the mood this year. It will be wee Liam's first Christmas and we're doing the decorating thing, as they'll be with us. For that reason alone I think it might 'feel' like Christmas.
If I watch the right movies and it gets cold enough, yeah... we might have Christmas. :D
Being the lazy sort I never decorate for Christmas. (at least not since the kids left the house. LOL). This year we're headed to Chicago for that week. I don't mind putting stuff up I just HATE the work of taking it down and putting it away. I need staff to do these things for me.
As for the direction of the nation... well, it is what it is. I do what I can and ignore the rest. I look for the good things around me. The happy things. The things that make me laugh. It's too easy to get fixated on the bad stuff the older we get. I refuse to do that. I'll do my best to prevent bad stuff and then deal with whatever can't be prevented as it shows up. No sense letting the wankers make my life miserable. Then they win and I won't let them ;-)