Monday Musings...
At THIS time of year, as with most ANY household across America (and perhaps most of the world), sooner or later you just HAVE to get the decorations out...AND put them up (what, you thought you got a pass on that? Silly person).
Now I'll be the first one to tell you that I like HAVING the decorations up...makes the place FEEL like the holidays what with all the Santas, snowmen, bears, reindeer, Christmas elves (not to be confused with the Lord of the Rings variety), but having to PUT them up is one of those things I'm kind of hesitant with.
Fortunately, I manage to solve the problem easily enough....plan ahead. We have certain areas that get certain decorations. That way, we're not guessing as to WHAT goes WHERE and does it LOOK nice.
We've even bought plastic BINS to hold "room-specific" decorations...and THAT helps to no small end. The "Santa collection"? NO problem - goes on the cabinets in the DINING room. The Garfield holiday plates and figures? No worries - goes on the entertainment center in the LIVING room.
Sure it's predictable to a degree, but it's EASY. And easy becomes "Job-One" at Christmas time.
That at least takes care of all the festive bric-a-brac.
Now when it comes to...THE TREE...we've still have our (fireproof) artificial pine with the easy assembly instructions in the box. We are thinking of trading up to one of those PRE-LIT LED trees, but then what to do with all those HALLMARK ornaments that blink, beep and talk? I mean I'll sure as hell miss ST:TNG's Mr. WORF wishing me "Qa'Pla...and a HAPPY HOLIDAY"!
Still, it all helps (us) to make the season bright, as it were.
THEN...there's all the LIGHTS (rolls eyes).
Now tell me, how the hell does a light string that worked PERFECTLY fine when you put it away this past JANUARY in a sealed plastic bin, ALL OF A SUDDEN refuse to work properly over the course of 11 months?
I swear there are Christmas light gremlins that must be getting into things. Damn problem is that they always seem to put things back EXACTLY the way they found it...no prints, no NOTHING! They even replace the damn DUST!
Amazing.
But last year, we got extra light strings...just in case. You gotta think as these gremlins do in order to stay a few reindeer hoof prints ahead of them. And that means being able to put up lights that WORK. After all, you don't want to be fussin' and cussin' all damn day, right? We've better things to do (like take that Sunday afternoon NAP).
I will admit that after all the typical problems that would make Clark Griswold green with envy, it IS worth it. The net result is a place that echoes the spirit of the holiday (as long as you don't go and substitute the baby Jesus in your Nativity scene with a talking STEWIE GRIFFIN, plush ODIE, or TRANSFORMER action figure -somehow that doesn't quite fit), and is something to take a little pride in.
And if there is one problem with doing all this holiday decorating...it's having to TAKE IT ALL DOWN IN LESS THAN A MONTH!
(that is unless you live in MY part of the city...where Christmas decorations stay up until EASTER, and the icicle lights are up all damn year!)
I'm not one to say that these people are planning "ahead" for NEXT year...in many cases, I'll bet they don't even know WHAT YEAR it is.
(drugs'll do that to 'ya, m'OK?)
And lastly, there's always the cards and gifts you'll have to send outside the city (or state, or even country). And that means having to wait in queue most any day. Still, the early bird gets the worm in this case.
Mail EARLY..period.
Get plenty of stamps, too because as you send all those Christmas CARDS out, you ALSO have to keep mailing out those Christmas BILLS...and they still need stamps! Santa "don't give no freebies out"... even for that.
I mean, it's not like we're used to not knowing about BILLS during the Christmas season, is it?
NAH...it's just the ONE time of year we accrue those BILLS we never have to see the OTHER ELEVEN MONTHS!
Christmas, like any other "OP" can be successful...a little PLANNING goes a LONG way to ensure YOUR "survival"!
To plan properly and to view a good result OF that planning just to see a smile on someone's face IS worth it.
(and a wee nip of scotch now and again is a fantastic holiday "aid" when added to the eggnog)
Remember that this season isn't all about lights, trees, or gifts, but it IS all about being able TO GIVE.
And since TIME is such a precious commodity, I think you all know what I mean.
Don't believe me?
Read this:
http://www.fortwaynenews.com/index.php/2008/12/07/why-i-believe-in-santa-claus/
Sure, it's nice to GET, but it's a LOT nicer to GIVE.
'Nuff said.