Undecorating

I suppose I am one of the few people who takes down the Christmas decorations before the New Year arrives. As far back as I can remember,  I always have.  By then, the tree has probably been up for three weeks, and that's long enough for me.  By then, it is dropping needles.   Oh, how I hate the process of removing the tree, and getting all those needles on the carpet,  especially our current white carpet!   My experience is that a vacuum just won't pick them up, so sweeping, picking is a very time consuming process.  Clearly, evergreens belong outside!

Un-Christmas decorating is usually not something I do all at once.  Different Christmas items disappear a few at a time, and are placed in their respective boxes until next year.  When the living room was put back together with chairs in their proper places,  Gerry commented that it looks plain.  And he is right.  But by the time I rush to fill up the plainness,  I will have grown accustomed to it, and not want to change it.

 I like for New Year's to begin with a "clean slate".   And I also am quite fond of the regular life routine,  meaning specifically,  over the holiday season the television programming leaves much to be desired.  I'll be happy to see some new ones of my old favorite shows again.

Most of all, I do love seeing my family and cooking the holiday meal.  At the moment, the dining room is filled completely to capacity with the table and twelve people.  But we figured out what to do when the number increases, which surely it will, with either a significant other, or a new grandchild.   We'll bring the table out into the open area in the great room, and just add a table to the end of it.  That'll work.

It was on this day forty years ago that I gave birth to my first born child,  who was named Brenda.  Forty years!  That's hard to fathom. Probably as much for her as for me.  We've done well together, this mother and child,  enjoying one another.  

Life goes on.  Speedily!