December is hours away, and I am doing OK
My children were kind enough to bring up my old "forever" Christmas tree from the basement after a Thanksgiving dinner last week. It is showing its age and some lights refuse to twinkle. I can relate. It is in its spot by the window and there it has stood naked for days while I try to ignore the whole darn thing. Wednesday, I tackled it and brought up the first box of "stuff". There are six more, but because of my lack of ho, ho, ho this year, I knew I could not handle any more. I took out the first box in the box and carefully hung eleven ornaments. My back started to hurt, so I needed to sit down and contemplate the whole matter and decided Thursday would be a better day for decorating. Unfortunately, it had slipped my mind (happens often) that the next day I had to go to work and there would not be enough hours left to do a proper job. Plan C would be to do it on the next rainy day which happens nearly everyday here. So I was committed and I got the freeking tree up. I did it, it is done, and I would like to say, the spirit of Christmas is alive and well in my abode. Well, kind of , sort of , maybe. I'll just get that can of Sparkling Spruce air freshener spray and see if that works some magic. That and a lovely glass of fine wine just might have me Fa la la-ing.
Daisy was not any help and hopefully she will enjoy the tree from afar, and not on one of the branches.
It's so pretty and the lights look beautiful reflected in the window like that. I must bring our tree in from the garden and dry it off in the back porch, before bringing it in the house. X
ReplyDeleteI do love the lights of the season. It is supposed to be warm on Sunday so we will do the outside and decorate with blue and white strings of lights. Hopefully, they will work.
DeleteYour tree is lovely. We have always used an artificial one mainly because of the cats (all three of them). Your Daisy is gorgeous! Is she a Maine Coon or maybe a Norwegian Forest cat?
ReplyDeleteDaisy is the result of a beautiful, abandoned Siberian cat that lives in our woods and a passing stranger. Momma was very promiscuous but we caught her and put an end to her “fast cat” days. She seems much happier and stress free now.
DeleteFa la la la la! We decorate less and less each year, but when I got home from the grocery store today, I was tickled to see that my hubby hung our tree. Yeah, hung it. It's a cardboard cut-out decorated with bubble lights and glued-on paper ornaments. (The cats don't climb it!)
ReplyDeleteMy family from CA visits during the holidays and I want them all to enjoy Christmas and all its trimmings. If not, I would be perfectly happy to have a cardboard tree. The cats, though, would probably knock that one down.
DeleteYour tree looks so beautiful. I'm with you. I wasn't with it this year. Well, not as much as other years. I gave up my big tree for a table top model. So much easier. What a gorgeous kitty. She doesn't bother your tree?
ReplyDeleteYes, a smaller tree would be easier and I sometimes think that I might like to do that. I may bitch and moan about the bigger tree, but I know I will be very sad when the time comes that I can no longer do it.
DeleteHello, friend SOAC-M!
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I admire the header you created from the image of your beautiful kitty Daisy lounging on the sofa and preparing to get into mischief with those tree ornaments. You did a fine job of decorating the tree. Pure white Christmas lights piercing the darkness are magical, my favorite holiday touch.
Do you by chance live in southeastern Pennsylvania? If so we have one more thing in common. I look forward to getting to know you and becoming friends. Thank you for considering my request and have a great weekend.
Dear SDK, I clicked on your blog name but it said that your profile was not public and I could not see your postings.
DeleteThank you for your nice comment.
I'm so sorry about that. Here is my blog's address: tctgyb.blogspot.com
DeleteI finally found your blog through somebody else’s blog and am now following you.
DeleteThank you! :)
DeleteI wonder if I will rely on anyone for the tree when Laura is gone.I wonder if...
ReplyDeleteWell, I do have some little prezzies to wrap, and hide from the cat's inquisitive toenails.
Oh, Joanne, I don’t think you will ever lose Laura. Even when she goes off to college, I am sure she will make time to come home and spend time with you. You two are a good team.
DeleteSuch a pretty tree - decorations make all the magic happen, don't they?
ReplyDeleteOur cats love to sit or lie under our tree. They think they are hidden and I don't tell them otherwise.
Under the tree is fine, in the tree could be a disaster. We had one kitten years ago who we thought we had lost. We found him sleeping in the decorated Christmas tree and he had not disturbed anything. Daisy and Wheezy are not so dainty.
Deleteand very nice it looks too. Lovely and Christmassy if there is such a word. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan and I hope your holidays are very merry.
DeleteLooks nice, now enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWhen I am finished decorating, I am so proud of myself.
DeleteThe tree looks great! I have to get mine up soon - it really does cheer one up.
ReplyDeleteIt does Colette. Tomorrow, we will tackle the outside lights and that still gives me joy - Not necessarily putting them up but seeing how pretty they are at night.
DeleteYour tree looks really wonderful and I'll join you in a glass of wine to toast it being decorated! :) I had a friend who used to keep his tree completely decorated year round and just moved it from the living room to the garage each holiday season so he wouldn't have to redecorate. I thought that was funny at the time, but I see the wisdom in it!! :)
ReplyDeleteRain, putting it away decorated is a great idea that I have thought about more than once. There is no room in my garage and I have turning stairs to my basement. However, we do not take the tree apart but carry it down the stairs intact . Somebody should take a video of the two of us doing it, but it should be on mute.
DeleteLOL...I guess the verbage isn't very "festive"...lol! ;)
DeleteDear Arleen, like you, I'm finding that the days are slipping away and I'm getting little done on my Christmas fa-la-laing! The books for the great-grand nephews and nieces came today from Amazon. (Not being able to drive anymore, I do most of my shopping online. I don't like to ignore the independent booksellers but life is what it is.
ReplyDeleteThe tree probably won't go up for a week or so because I must get baking done for three boxes--one to Texas, one to Idaho, and one to Minnesota. So I'm fa-la now but not quite your fa-la-laing. Maybe wine would help-----but I'm allergic to it! Tea's my drink of choice. When in doubt, I say, sit down and drink some hot tea! with a scone if possible! Peace.
I love my hot tea also, Dee. It has a wonderful calming affect on me. Enjoy your baking.
DeleteI love your kitty, what a great picture! When I grew up in Sweden, trees were put up the day before Christmas Eve. And kept up through the 12 days of Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMy parents never put up the tree till Christmas Eve, but when I got married, my husband convinced me to put it up a week or two earlier. Now we start decorating after Thanksgiving. It is nice to look at and we have more time to enjoy it. We used to take it down on January 6th, but I usually want it down sooner.
DeleteThat's a well-loaded tree. I hope it keeps upright!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, did you know that the melody of Oh Tannebaum is the same as the British & Irish Labour Party song The Red Flag as used by socialist and communist movements across the world?
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I put a lot of ornaments on the tree this year. It takes me hours to get it the way I want it to look. Then I fuss with it till it is time for it to come down. I can’t help myself.
DeleteI did not know that about that song, Bazza. The melody is lovely.
Your tree is beautiful! I can so relate to you way of decorating. I brought up a couple of boxes from the basement. Then decided to make a cup of coffee. Put the wreath on the front door, unpacked some of the boxes and decided to call it quits.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is good enough to bring up some more boxes. And maybe next week I'll get a tree. LOL.
That is very smart of you to put the wreath on the door. From the outside, it looks like you are on top of all the Christmas festivity.
DeleteI have four more boxes of old stuff to open. Oy vey!
Lovely photo of cat and Xmas decorations on the top. And a beautiful tree, think we may be going for an artifical tree this year, a real tree will probably be pulled round by our 11 year old spaniel, who has never grown up...
ReplyDeleteWe went artificial, aka Forever Tree, fifteen years ago. Retired man was not happy, but finally relented. They are much easier to decorate and care for and take up less space. They are also strong enough to hold a cat without too much trouble.
DeleteYour tree is beautiful and I hope you enjoy it, with or without that glass of wine. Since we have no little ones (not even a cat) to enjoy it we opted to hang a christmas tree sun catcher in the main window as our only decoration this year. No muss, no fuss and sooooo easy to take down. Enjoy your day, month, rest of the year. It will go by quickly.
ReplyDeleteThank you Carol. The tree does add some cheer into the house and I will be having a lot of guests so it is worth my energy to put it up. However, I can imagine being happy with a sun catcher. I hope you have lovely holidays also.
DeleteI can certainly relate to this Post and that's how this Christmas is playing out for me too... showing it's age and some refusing to twinkle is a perfect description... and I'm not talking about my Tree! *Winks* LOVE your Header Image, that's Calendar worthy, did the Fur Baby deliberately pose for that one? Your Tree looks sublime! I bought a Cheap Forever Tree from Wal-Mart this year but when we threw enough at it then it didn't look so bad actually and some Magic did happen. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI gave up on real trees about 15 years ago. They were too much work. Like me, the tree has a few more years of life left in her and she still spins around and plays carols (Mr. Christmas makes the magic). With some ribbons, colored balls and sparkle she passes for someone half her age. If it was only that easy for me.
DeleteI saw the trees at WallMart. I thought they were very nice and I know that with your wonderful talents, Dawn, you made it magnificent.
This is totally me. I totally get how you're feeling. I really do. I wish spraying a can of something would help. Maybe I'll try a candle or a good piece of cheesecake.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the cheesecake which would be even better with some cherries on top. How festive that would be!
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ReplyDeleteThank you, Lon. I hope the holidays are good to you.
DeleteSounds like you are IN FINE Christmas spirit to me!! There is definitely not enough HUMOR around the holiday season. You have added yours....good job..
ReplyDeletexo
Jo
Thank you, Jo, I am glad I made you smile.
DeleteI get it, Arleen, all the way to the attic where my forever tree sits, with any luck, forever. My husband fussed a bit the first year I decided it was a flaming waste of effort (we don't entertain, so no one really ever sees it), until I suggested that if he wanted to go get it and bring it down and then put all the ornaments on it...
ReplyDeleteUntil last year he insisted he wanted candles in the windows, and the deal was, I'd put them in, and he'd turn them on and off every night (Mama didn't raise no dopes here, nossir) and after a few years of that he decided maybe not...
I love Christmas and decorations, and all the ho ho ho stuff, but at this age I love it at someone else's house.
Your tree is lovely, btw, shiny and sparkly. I had only one cat who ever noticed the tree, and all he wanted to do was sleep under it. Cats do recognize good climbing material, though...
If you get no joy in the tree and all its accessories, Mittens, I completely understand not going thru all the trouble. My daughter, who has three daughters, puts up numerous trees in her house. It is all so very beautiful, but so much work. I feel like a slacker, but just can’ imagine dealing with putting up and taking down all that stuff.
DeleteOne of my cats likes to sleep and throw up hairballs under the tree and the other finds it a little more interesting. She hasn’t made a leap at it yet, but I wouldn’t put it past her.
We wait until Christmas Eve before we decorate the tree. It is out in the garden now, looking ever more battered and devoid of needles with each year that passes.Its a matter of honour to keep the poor thing alive from one December to the next. We've got three boxes in the attic, the contents of which will make the transformation! I've no cats to create mayhem but a very busy one and a half year old grandson will be with us for Christmas and he may cause the tree to lose a few more needles!
ReplyDeleteI love that you use the same live tree every year. That is a beautiful tradition. What a wonderful Christmas you are going to have with your little grandson there. I am sure he will only bring joy and a few more needles off the tree won’t matter at all. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, Rosemary.
DeleteDear Arleen, please forgive my tardy comment. I'm still recovering from Halloween. Also took a spill recently and am using walking stick(Should be fit by Christmas). Wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed this post --including the incomparable cat portraits.
ReplyDeleteOh, Geo, I am so sorry about your fall. I did one of those this summer and it more than frightened me about being vulnerable. I am now more careful with my steps.
DeleteI think of you often and hope so much that you will soon feel better soon. My daughter (in CA) also reads your blog and admires you also. You and Norma have a fan club.
Tis the season, and I had a giggle when you mentioned the first box of "stuff"... to be followed by ALL the others. Good for you! Got our live tree up and waiting for those damn elves to show up and finish...Enjoy your holiday season! May it be Merry and Bright and filled with GREAT JOY IN ABUNDANCE! FA LA LA...AND ALL THAT JAZZ! ALOHA!
ReplyDeleteAll my stuff is up and ready for the elves and the big guy. I have been very good this year and all I want for Christmas is someone to come to my house after the holidays and clean up put this stuff away.
ReplyDeleteHi Arleen,
ReplyDeleteYep, here I finally am. Beyond unfashionably late. I'm liking your forever tree. My forever tree is still waiting patiently in a closet. Must get moving on the season to be jolly stuff.
Good luck having all your Christmas stuff being put away. Maybe you can have the elves return and help you out.
Have a lovely Christmas, my thoughtful friend.
Gary
DeleteIt was so nice to see your comment, Gary. I hope you take your forever tree out of the closet and put an ornament or two or three on it. A tree brings joy, and I know you, and all of us, can use a little of that now. Merry Christmas to you and Tristan.
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ReplyDeletei love this blog, very helpfully
ReplyDelete