Yeah, I know…three posts in one day! What can I say? I’ve been working hard and needed a break.
This year I had planned to do my decorating in small phases so as to avoid being overwhelmed by the messiness of all of it. I’m sure you can relate.
First of all you bring out the boxes from the closet. Then, as you start pulling things out and deciding where to put them, you realize just how dusty your house it, so you have to pull out a rag and clean. Then, you have to take the stuff that’s already around your house and move it somewhere else to make room for the decorations.
Meanwhile, you try to start putting other decorations around the house, but you get stuck because your “regular” house stuff that you just moved is in the precise spot you want to put the other decorations. So you have to stop, put that stuff away, and then resume.
And the tree…
For the last four or five years, we have had a pre-lit Christmas tree. The first year we had it was nice. I hate stringing lights, so this saved a ton of time. Plus, the new tree was taller and filled the space between the floor and ceiling (10 ft) better than the old tree. However, all of the pre-strung lights made the tree HEAVY! What a pain to put away! We barely fit the box into the Christmas closet each year. Last year, one of my closet doors broke, so I had to go to Home Depot to buy the parts to fix it.
A couple of years ago, I noticed that the top section of the tree was not lighting properly. I painstakingly went through the lights trying to figure out which one was burned out. I am the expert light-fixer, spending hours each year maintaining my sets. But this one had me stumped. I changed fuses and bulbs…to no avail.
Finally, this year I decided no more. Mr. AuburnChick agreed. We put the tree, in its box, beside the curb. I hope someone will come along and claim it as their own.
I rummaged around in the attic and pulled down the 7-ft tree we’ve had since the second year of my marriage. It’s small. What a difference. And the lights took forever to put on. They don’t look great, but they’re on. I have about half of the ornaments hung. Soccer Chick invited Guy Friend over, and he helped. Both of them got tired before the job was done. So the boxes sit…waiting…
Thank goodness, though, for teenagers. They have so much energy and creativity! I let them have at it with the decorations.
Guy Friend and Soccer Chick decorated my fireplace.
I think the rest of the house is going to have to wait until tomorrow. I’m tired. Decorating is hard work! Aubie and Pele agree.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: christmas, decorating, pre-lit trees | 1 Comment »
AuburnChick's Adventures 