There are no garlands, no poinsettias, no snowflakes. There is a package of candy canes on the kitchen table. Does that count?
I have a 30 year collection of more than 500 Christmas candles. The closest they have come to making an appearance this year is the cardboard box of 10 or 15 of them that my husband accidentally brought up from the basement, thinking they were something else and leaving them on the highchair in the kitchen because he thought I might want to unpack them and put them up.
I haven't.
I have no idea what this is all about. I used to have my shopping done in October. I stayed up nights when my kids were little, baking cookies and making homemade decorations. One year I gave all my neighbors salt dough replicas of their homes, painted in itty bitty detail! This year -- nada.
I think I need to change the name of my blog... perhaps "Lazy Housewife" or "How to Disguise Yourself as a Housewife" or "Scroogey-Housewife". I like "Desperate Housewife" but that one's already taken.
This is all a bit tongue-in-cheek because the one thing I do have (as of this morning) are LISTS of all the things I need to get done between now and Christmas. I'll get it done, not to worry. Gifts get wrapped today and off to the post office tomorrow. Menu plans will be done tonight. Grocery shopping on Thursday. Tree decorated on Wednesday. Shopping on Tuesday. As of Thursday my husband will be on vacation until after Christmas, so he can hang the wreath and the garlands.
God bless lists.
So maybe what's bothering me is the coach's mantra just doesn't fit around the holidays. Something good MAY happen today, indeed... but only if I get up off my butt and get it done!
Dec 15, 2008
It's a Wonderful Life
Last night I watched the last few minutes of a news show (60 minutes maybe? whatever was on while I was waiting for Survivor to start) and some college football coach was on whose mantra is "I keep thinking that day to day, something good is just about to happen." I thought I was going to blog today about that train of thought and what a great way to live your that is. Idealism at it's finest.
But after a night of literally tossing and turning, not falling asleep until almost 3am, instead I'm going to make a confession.
I'm a holiday slacker.
Oh sure, I've made some ornaments with my grandson, and fabric Christmas cards. My gift buying is done (well, except for my daughter who just cannot make up her mind about what she wants for Christmas. She will get the modern day version of coal in her stocking -- a gift card -- if she doesn't hurry up and give me some ideas).
But....
The Christmas tree stands in my family room, lit up soooo pretty. Lights make a tree, don't you think? I hope so, because my tree has NO decorations on it. Oh, wait, my grandson hung ONE of our ornaments on it.
There is no wreath on my door. I have not journeyed down the 14 steps to my basement to fish it out of it's box.
There are lit candles in all the front windows -- my husband put them there.
There are no cookies baked.
I've yet to plan my Christmas Eve dinner menu or our Christmas buffet menu, to say nothing about doing the actual grocery shopping or preparation work.
There are no stockings hung, no presents wrapped (or mailed), no lovely initialed gift tags made. There is no homemade tree skirt, no Christmas wreath quilt hanging over the fireplace, and no lovely Christmas quilt on the back of the family room couch, no mantel decorated. Oh, and I didn't make the embroidered Christmas sofa pillows I was sure I was going to.
There are no garlands, no poinsettias, no snowflakes. There is a package of candy canes on the kitchen table. Does that count?
I have a 30 year collection of more than 500 Christmas candles. The closest they have come to making an appearance this year is the cardboard box of 10 or 15 of them that my husband accidentally brought up from the basement, thinking they were something else and leaving them on the highchair in the kitchen because he thought I might want to unpack them and put them up.
I haven't.
I have no idea what this is all about. I used to have my shopping done in October. I stayed up nights when my kids were little, baking cookies and making homemade decorations. One year I gave all my neighbors salt dough replicas of their homes, painted in itty bitty detail! This year -- nada.
I think I need to change the name of my blog... perhaps "Lazy Housewife" or "How to Disguise Yourself as a Housewife" or "Scroogey-Housewife". I like "Desperate Housewife" but that one's already taken.
This is all a bit tongue-in-cheek because the one thing I do have (as of this morning) are LISTS of all the things I need to get done between now and Christmas. I'll get it done, not to worry. Gifts get wrapped today and off to the post office tomorrow. Menu plans will be done tonight. Grocery shopping on Thursday. Tree decorated on Wednesday. Shopping on Tuesday. As of Thursday my husband will be on vacation until after Christmas, so he can hang the wreath and the garlands.
God bless lists.
So maybe what's bothering me is the coach's mantra just doesn't fit around the holidays. Something good MAY happen today, indeed... but only if I get up off my butt and get it done!
There are no garlands, no poinsettias, no snowflakes. There is a package of candy canes on the kitchen table. Does that count?
I have a 30 year collection of more than 500 Christmas candles. The closest they have come to making an appearance this year is the cardboard box of 10 or 15 of them that my husband accidentally brought up from the basement, thinking they were something else and leaving them on the highchair in the kitchen because he thought I might want to unpack them and put them up.
I haven't.
I have no idea what this is all about. I used to have my shopping done in October. I stayed up nights when my kids were little, baking cookies and making homemade decorations. One year I gave all my neighbors salt dough replicas of their homes, painted in itty bitty detail! This year -- nada.
I think I need to change the name of my blog... perhaps "Lazy Housewife" or "How to Disguise Yourself as a Housewife" or "Scroogey-Housewife". I like "Desperate Housewife" but that one's already taken.
This is all a bit tongue-in-cheek because the one thing I do have (as of this morning) are LISTS of all the things I need to get done between now and Christmas. I'll get it done, not to worry. Gifts get wrapped today and off to the post office tomorrow. Menu plans will be done tonight. Grocery shopping on Thursday. Tree decorated on Wednesday. Shopping on Tuesday. As of Thursday my husband will be on vacation until after Christmas, so he can hang the wreath and the garlands.
God bless lists.
So maybe what's bothering me is the coach's mantra just doesn't fit around the holidays. Something good MAY happen today, indeed... but only if I get up off my butt and get it done!
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5 comments:
It has been hard this year with less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We did get our tree and other decorations up the first week of December, but I did not feel in the spirit of the season until I started wrapping presents last Wednesday night. You know what, though? I did not put up all of my decorations, and I'm fine with that. We have the less cluttered look this year - just the tree, wreath on the door, garland and wreath on the dining room hutch, and our Nutcrackers. That's it!
(P.S. Not baking cookies keeps off the Christmas pounds. I have been eating chocolate at work, though!)
I think my original comment got lost in cyberspace. I commented that this Christmas season seems short and a lot of people are behind.
I love the Christmas music you added to your blog! I actually kept your blog open last week to listen to the music while I looked at other things on the internet. So, you're spreading the holiday cheer and you don't even know it! :)
Joan, try to not be too hard on yourself! The holidays are stressful enough without us feeling bad because we weren't Suzy Homemaker/Martha Stewart/and Joan Cleaver combined!
I would just march downstairs tomorrow and spend one hour bringing up a few of your favorite ornaments and decorations, get that wreath over the mantle and front door, and call it a day. With only 10 days to go before Christmas, why get everything out?
You may be feeling a little of the "Christmas Blues" also and that is why you haven't been motivated to do more and not even know it. Depression hits many of us this time of year. So take care of yourself and relish in all the wonderful sights and sounds of the season!
God Bless!
Deb
Joan - Ricky and I have decided to return to the Catholic tradition of putting the tree up on Christmas Eve, after noon.
We put up a few lights outside, along with a little bit of front porch red and green. Nothing else.
I think the Christmas "season" had gotten too commercial, and way too long. This year, I wanted to return to what Christmas is really about.
Give youself a break, and allow yourself some time to reflect... and listen to some more Christmas music.
Christmas Blessings... Dixie
I, too, have slacked. I wrote out my Christmas cards today. I just don't feel 'Christmasy' this year for some reason. I'm not bah humbug, but I'm just not feeling it.
Don't feel bad about how you feel. Know that you are certainly not alone and it will all still be there tomorrow.
I also wonder where all of the Christmas movies are this year....not a single airing of A Christmas Story or any of my other favs yet, just It's a Wonderful Life which can bum a girl out.
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