Decorating for the holidays
This week has vanished quickly, in portions anyhow, and for that I am grateful. And I am free of any doctors visits until Monday which is even better.
Today, after a few errands, we came back home and drug out all of the Christmas things. I am not big into Christmas, don't think I am one of those Christmas fanatics....however I do collect nice holiday items whenever one is forthcoming. Christmas has never been one of my favourite times of the year; unusual, unlucky, bizarre and just plain dreadful things have all occured around this festive occasion. But I try to be festive myself each year, regardless. I thought we could put up the tree and decorate to cheer us up, take our mind off of things, even if for a while.
Greg had to bring everything up from the basement. Then I had the task that seems to have been passed down from my mother to me: getting the tiny sparkling lights JUST PERFECT, even if it takes HOURS, while the rest of the family impatiently dances around you practically, ready to dive into the ornaments and place them on the awaiting branches. Of course we had to take the obligatory trip out halfway through finishing the lights....Greg decided we needed white lights for outside and I thought, well we COULD use some fresh new ornaments, so out we went. Back home and armed with more lights and ornaments, the fiasco continued....and continued....and continued....Once I had the lights just right, where not one wire is showing and each individual bulb looks as tho it is magically popping from each clump of needles, it was time to get the ornaments on. Everyone participated, but the dogs looked forelornly from their kennels, most likely thinking of how great the tree, lights and ornaments would taste!
By 11pm we had the task at hand completed. Thank goodness. And the tree looks lovely.
This is the very tree I bought three years ago in Penneys on O'Connoll Street in Dublin. It has been shipped around more than any other three year old tree I know of! I remember going into Penneys with Clare on a Saturday afternoon, buying numerous boxes of shiny ornaments, lights and then, the tree. Once they bagged all the items and I paid, I realised, hmmm, how can I get all of these bags, myself, a two year old and a huge boxed tree on the bus? Not possible. I could see it now, Clare propped on the tree's box like it was a huge sled and me shoving the tree down O'Connoll Street to the amusement of passerbys. I asked the clerk to ring a cab. They said it would be a 2 hour wait. Oh dear. So we left the tree, saying we would collect it the next day. When we could borrow someone and their car. So the clerk taped a note on the side: Hold for Anneliese, PAID. That note is still taped to the box.
Anyway, the tree is somehow intact after all the moving it has done. And in good shape I might add. Next year, I think, I will go tree shopping again. This one might get to be retired. In fact, I think the chances are very slim that this tree is still standing, as is, by Christmas. I can already foresee the dogs getting a wee bit rambunctious (when are they not?) and taking a giant leap and.....there goes the tree. Oh well....we'll just pick up the bits and pieces and move on. At least if there is an emergency and I need to go buy a new tree immediately, I won't have to take the bus!
