What day is it?
So much time, so little to do.
The holidays are amazing – Christ, camaraderie, and cookies – but they go on for a while, and you lose sense of time.
I thought today was Monday – I also thought Monday was Monday, but it made sense then – but I fear the break is nearing its finish, as our houseguests have now all left.
The holidays go on forever – until they don’t.
My Captor and I now in that dreaded holiday phase: Putting holiday things away.
The most contentious put-away the Christmas tree – when’s the right time for that? I prefer leaving the tree up year-round – saving the expense of buying another one next year – while My Captor would prefer RIGHT NOW!
We’ve tried multiple timings, one year the tree remaining up until the 4th of July, but spontaneously combusting: The bad news, the fire damaged the family room, the good news, the flames saved us from having to buy fireworks.
My back now dictates the timing, as our tree resides in a sand filled bucket, which is quite heavy, and my son-in-law has to be here to carry it outside and dump the sand.
They came pre-Christmas one year, and it’s a bit depressing not having a tree for Christmas…
But the tree came down yesterday, I dragged it to the beach this morning, returning nature to nature…
Unless of course, you’re with the DNR, then the tree was delivered to the Chipper.
Another tricky put/throw away is leftovers.
Our daughter loves to go out to eat when visiting, we have a lot of great spots in town – even our grandkids now have their spots – and I’d be disingenuous if I acted like we’re not happy to oblige.
But leftovers pile up over their week-long visit, and it can be difficult to evaluate whether they’re safe to eat – but we have 3 easy ways to figure that out: Do we recognize what it is? Is it a color that occurs in nature? Does it smell like food?
Different family members have different evaluative criteria, ranging from 0 to 3, so we can usually find someone to eat something.
And fortunately, they’re not that heavy, so I’m capable of taking them out and dumping them when need be.
And then there are the dishes and decorations that need to be put-away/dealt with.
Dishes remain until the last dishwasher cycle post-visit – I sure do miss that fruitcakes coffee cup – while the decorations can be a bit tricky: I’m reminded each year we have ‘Christmas pillows’, which are changed out for our ‘Non-Christmas pillows’, and really make the house festive!
Right, My Captor?
The final put-away is received gifts – both good and bad.
I put clothes in ‘rotation’ – the 3 shirts and shorts I wear are pretty special – so it can take months to actually wear something I’m given.
So, my frustrated loved ones now give me food: pork loins my favorite.
The best put-aways of all…
But ultimately, the whole put-away/take down thing is a bummer, because it means the holiday season is over – a double negative.
We eagerly anticipate this season for so long – the build up with our grandchildren is so much fun to watch, and the time with family and friends incredible.
Which I guess is why it’s so eagerly anticipated.
But the double negative is what’s next: January!
Cold, gray January.
Put a Dry in front of January, and it might be a triple negative.
But the good news: With the Sugar Bowl delayed a day, Dry January won’t start until the 3rd!
For 271 more posts like this –each with a wish for more/less Christmas– go to beersatthenifty.com. Your phone will display every post, and you can waste an hour or two.
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An artist once again next week, after the Holidazed fog wears off!