Confessions of a holiday slacker
It seems the Christmas season has snuck up and found me ill-prepared once again. I blame this predicament on my disdain for retailers putting up Christmas decorations before Halloween and trying to rush me into the season. I blame political correctness run amok in a country where people say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” so as not to offend anyone and then look at me when I reply “Merry Christmas” to them as if I’ve just made a disparaging remark about their mother. (Incidentally, if someone were to wish me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa, I would not be offended in the least–but that’s another rant for another day.) But first and foremost, I blame my own well-honed proclivity for procrastination and devastating laziness.
I have varying levels of holiday decorating. Level One decorating consists of outside lights adorning the house, wreaths on not only the front door but also wreaths on each window facing the street, a small wooden nativity scene, a large snowman surrounded by three ice skating penguins with blue lights encircling the entire scene to mimic a frozen pond, and a wooden Santa to greet visitors at the front door. On the inside of the house, there’s the fully decorated tree and mantle, a Christmas village spanning six shelves of the built-ins in the family room, a fancy nativity scene atop the piano, personalized miniature trees in each child’s room as well as a snowman themed tree in the kitchen. There are also wreaths on each of the french doors leading into the office off the family room and Christmas plates replacing the plates normally displayed in the dining room. Dispersed throughout the house are Christmas themed candles and various trinkets.
It should be noted that Level One Christmas decorating has not been achieved since I let my prescription for Adderall lapse over four years ago.
Level Two decorating consists of MOST of the above, less the kids’ trees, the snowman tree, the Christmas village and the wreaths on the office doors. For me, this is still a fairly daunting process.
Neither level was achieved this year. I’m at Level Three. Although if one were to rank by output of effort and number of decorations, it would be more accurate to describe it as Level 7, 8 or 27.
Oh, I’ve got the essentials done.
The tree is up and decorated…
Even though there are just as many left off the tree this year than there are on the tree.
The mantle is decorated.
The centerpiece, the reason for the season is prominently displayed. Not only the fancy set on the piano,
but also the small wooden nativity set in the front yard.
And in a display worthy of a Crap at my Parent’s House honorable mention is this bathroom display:
Visitors will be greeted by a friendly Santa Claus made by my neighbors a few years ago,
And I will be greeted each morning with incessant barking from Buddy Love the Dog,
who is convinced that there is an intruder on the other side of the sidelight window who just won’t leave no matter how loudly and often he’s barked at.
Do I feel a guilty about my lack of enthusiasm for decorating this year? A little, but not too much. For me, it’s the process of decorating as much as the final results that I enjoy. This year, there’s been lots of out of town business trips and even more after school activities that take all of us away from home, so there’s not been much time for putting up the Christmas decorations.
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care.
The tree is up and even has a few presents under it.
So rather than stress about all that could have been done that wasn’t, I’m simply going to call what we’ve done enough and enjoy what’s left of the Christmas holiday season.
Just as soon as I finish my Christmas shopping…
How’s your season going so far?
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I can SO relate (Oh my, my last post just popped up below and what was it….MAY??) We have the yard crap up (by ‘we’ I mean ‘he’), but NOTHING inside the house. We’re painting, yes the wallpaper is gone (!), and the only thing worth decorating is one of the three step ladders or perhaps the scaffolding. Not going to do it – will be out of town for Christmas day and who wants to come home to putting it all away? Level 20 here, 100% of shopping done online, and not a guilty bone in my body. Merry Christmas!
Candy´s last [type] ..Functional Foodie Friday: Brown Rice Risotto with Asparagus and Langostinos
This is level 3? Honey, this looks like Macy’s, only better. Let up on yourself a little bit – this is just lovely. Thanks for the peek…
Diana Trautwein´s last [type] ..An Advent Journey: Stop, Look, Listen – Day 9
That incessant barking thing? It’s the reason I have no tree up yet. I’m thinking weekend before Christmas up, and day after down. Yes, that’ll work.
I’m taking it a little at a time this year. The tree isn’t up yet, but that is okay. I’m hoping to get to it this week, but if I don’t, that’s okay. No one but Bob and me are around to enjoy it, and if we are overwhelmed to get it done, we aren’t enjoying it. i have until December 25 to decorate, until the sixth of December to enjoy it, and until February second to gradually disassemble it. There is no reason for me to be stressed out….. there is no reason for me to be stressed out….. there is no reason for me to be stressed out….
I love your mantel. I don’t have a creche in my bathroom. Maybe I should move one. I have a small little clear glass one I bought at a dollar store the year I couldn’t find my classroom creche. But then I have to break my rule about no glass in the bathroom.
Helen´s last [type] ..Life as an Advent Calendar Update 1
How is it possible that I’ve made it through 46 Christmases and never known that “creche” means “nativity scene”? At least I’m assuming that’s what it means. I suppose it could mean “pyramid of toilet paper” but that sort of falls apart when you mention you don’t have one in your bathroom. And the fact that you had one made out of glass. The only other term I’ve ever heard for nativity scene is the much less eloquent “barn set”. Thanks, Helen. I’ve learned something new today.
katdish´s last [type] ..Confessions of a holiday slacker
Do tell – is that an animal neck I see above the piano? I thought it was some piece of modern art until I enlarged the image and saw hair.
We still have copious amounts of cardboard boxes stacked in each room (enough to drive a person to distraction), but we are making some progress on closets and cupboards.
Blessings.
SimplyDarlene´s last [type] ..The More I Know Christ, The Less I Like Christmas
Huh? – If that’s level 7 or 8 we’re in big trouble! Diggin’ the crown mould in the room with the fireplace! That’s nice. I will be calling the local building department about the mantel that doesn’t meet local codes of flammable material being to close to a fireplace/pit… Well, on second thought, consider it my Christmas present! Who says I can’t control my Christmas decoration envy?
I also won’t be showing Larry and Lola the picture of Buddy Love sitting on the furniture… Talk about jealous!
I suppose I’ll have to go down and get more decorations to replace the ones that didn’t come on this year… They look okay during the day… Sheesh…
floyd´s last [type] ..YOU GOT ME
Lovely fireplace but that nativity set scrunched between the toilet paper? What? Are you trying to recreate the smells of the manager scene as well?
karenzach´s last [type] ..Heaven on Parkchester Drive
Those are hay bales, Karen. You’ve got to use your imagination a little.