| Mrs. Murfreesboro: Getting in mood for Christmas decorating coming slowly |
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By: JEANNE BRAGG, Post Columnist
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Posted: Sunday, December 7, 2008 7:39 am
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I am SO not in the mood for decorating the house for Christmas this year.
My family will tell you that I’ve been making that pronouncement on a daily basis for the past month.
And I am not getting ANY sympathy from my children. My older daughter Beth keeps telling me, “Mom ... you remember that we’re all going to be together here this year, don’t you?”
Yes, Beth, I remember.
But, unfortunately more than the memories of having everyone together are the memories of dragging those Christmas boxes out of the attic and putting decorations up, only to undecorate a quick three weeks later.
Yes, I remember they are all going to be here. And for that part of it, I’m counting the days. We share our married children with their other families out of town, and lucky us, our holiday is Christmas this year, though Thanksgiving was very sparse.
My husband Tommy says that I have been warning him for the past two weeks that the “we’re-here-to-take-your-Christmas-decorations-down-from-the-attic” fairies have failed to show up this season, and he has jovially helped me on the first leg. He dragged a bunch of stuff out, some of which immediately went to the Goodwill truck.
He also dragged down one of the artificial trees – the one for the study – while the fire was going and Christmas movies were playing and conditions were idyllic for decorating it. I sat in the chair and knitted, and asked him to switch to reruns of Boston Legal on DVR.
When we were in Knoxville for Thanksgiving, my older sister Carroll said she doesn’t even put up a tree. But she does go over the top on her front door, so we went shopping for ideas. After about six different stops, we decided that Bobby Todd, a wonderful antique/gift shop in Sweetwater, had the best inspiration and Carolina Pottery in Knoxville had the best selection of items for executing those good ideas.
I only bought one thing from Bobby Todd – a strand of Christmas lights. They were relatively big (about 1 ½ inches) clear bulbs that blinked off and on in a manner that was not manic, but cheery.
Meanwhile, a box containing the artificial tree for the living room sat on the floor for three days until I decided I could do without a living room tree. So I moved it to the kitchen where it will become the most popular decoration in my house.
My kitchen tree was inspired by Shannon Fox about five years ago. Shannon put up a slim-line tree (with lights and a star on top) on which she hung every photo Christmas card that she receives that year. I immediately copied her, putting a one-hole punch at my mail site. I hang the cards with black and white checked ribbon and add to it daily. Everyone marvels at it (thank you, Shannon) and it is such fun to see how families change from year to year.
I’m in the mood to go back up to the attic now. The crèche scene needs some greenery, and the poinsettia on the dining room table needs a prettier vase. It’s not quite as eye-catching as the sparkling deer, candles and trees of yesteryear, but it will do.
In fact, I may even surprise myself and turn on Christmas music and finish up. Then I’ll be ready for the real fun.
‘Til next week. |
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