This blog is devoted to my efforts to preserve and promote all those wonderful emotions and feelings of Christmas all thru the year.
Christmas is a time of celebrating, of giving, of coming together with friends and family. Simply stated - a tremendous EFFORT is made at Christmas.
Me? My house is cleaner. My multi-tasking is highly finessed. The effort to communicate near and far is higher (OK - BUSTED. I haven't send greeting cards for the past two years but more on that effort later). The food's better, the wardrobe is better, most things are 'better'.
Not truly a reality, right? Maybe. I know, I know...the holiday season is a peak season for depression. For me? It's after Christmas.
Haven't you worked yourself to a frazzle getting ready for the BIG DAY and the - POOF - its over? Those gifts you so carefully selected and wrapped are now claimed by their intended owners and wrapping paper is ripped, torn and strewn everywhere. The big Christmas dinner is over and hubby is firmly ensconced on the sofa, head back, jaw slack in an open mouth snore, hand firmly slid down pants between waistband and poochy tummy (why do they do that?)
So why would I want to put myself under that pressure month after month? I don't. I won't. I'm taking GIFTS and BIG DINNERS out of the equation.
What I'm concentrating on is the truly good stuff. The positive feelings. The goodwill. Happiness basically. Contentment. Living a more well rounded life.
Hopefully we all count our blessings at Christmas. We remember and appreciate. Why can't I do that for the entire year? Wouldn't it be great to fee that way - or close to it - all year long? During the holiday season, we make the effort, make things special.
January for me is FLAT. Company gone. The arduous task of taking down everything - outside lights, insider decorations (daughter Annie likes to say the inside of our house 'throws up Christmas' every year. I go all out.) So down it all comes after Christmas.
So for right now for the month of January, the month following everything that is Christmas, my tree will be as the New Year - a blank slate. And though my 15 year old son, Gus, probably thinks I have just not gotten around to hauling the tree out to storage, it is on post in our living FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
Pretty radical, huh? And not for everyone. For a number of reasons. If we had small kids I definitely do not think this would be a good idea. I think I will be able to pull it off because Annie lives on campus, hubby travels alot with his work and everything I do embarasses Gus anyway so what the heck!
When I was pretty sure this was my plan for the new year, I actually asked Annie 'would you think it weird if I left the Christmas tree up all year?' Her face was like 'Well duh?' and she said 'yeah' and then 'oh well, I don't care, I won't be here anyway.' And Gus? I haven't told him and he probably thinks I just haven't taken it down yet. I do put the 'PRO' in procrastination!
I think I can do this! I'm actually pretty jazzed about coming up with different themes for each month. Yeah, each month! And I think I'm tired at Christmas :) Also I'm wondering how I will feel when the mercury here in Texas is hitting the triple digits and I'm looking at my Christmas tree...
Only time will tell!
I've taken down the other decorations. After all, I don't want Christmas to lose its specialness. The only Christmas item I still have around is the tree.
And I LOVE my tree! I love all 108 inches of it. Its narrownness; the beautiful, soft glow of all the tiny white lights. Isn't it beautiful?
I don't intend to turn on the lights every night. I don't want it to lose its appeal. But I can tell you, at the end of the day I find it very calming to sit on my stairs in the dark and look at my soft, peaceful lights before I head up to bed. It does calm me.
Well enough for this first writing. And getting in just under the wire for January. Had to figure out the whole blog thing and then there is my issue with procrastination ;)
Enjoy!
