For some reason...it was really difficult to take the Christmas decor down. I just don't remember it being that hard. Yes...a little work..I remember that, but not this back breaking misery. This seemingly never ending job. I did hear a few calls for "HEP!! HEP!! out there..but by then all I could do was limp over, look in (holding my aching back) see everything all organized on the floor at Shelia's, (Note Songs) gasp at how great her's looked ...and limp back home. I did offer her my loving sympathy...but I tell you, that's about all I had to offer!!
It was terrible. Horrific! But..it's done.
Now the first thing I want to do is say "NEVER AGAIN!" but I know full well that's a crock, because I WILL do it again.
Now I know why my mother stopped doing it. I remember feeling sorry for her..and thinking "that day will never come for me. Ever!" But..
I feel it creeping up on me. I have friends already that didn't even put up a tree. Now I think I am beginning to understand.
Next Christmas I will need some encouraging words I think. Please be there for me...ok? :)
Love and hugs...
But Your home did look like a home should at Christmas! But I have already given up most of decorating for christmas I´m afraid :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great day now!
Christer.
Oh, Mona! What makes you feel you HAVE to do something? Because YOU, in your heart-of-hearts, REALLY want to? Or, because you feel you're EXPECTED to...social pressure and all that? Sometimes, I think we are our own worst enemies :)
ReplyDeleteNext time, maybe do a bit less? Just a pretty tablescape...or a wreath on the front door. Who says you HAVE to decorate your whole house, from top to toe? I promise, you'll STILL be the same wonderful, loving person if you don't!
Give yourself some well-deserved SLACK!
Now, go and rest that back of yours!!! You don't want to spend 2011 hobbling around in pain! Remember THAT, when Christmas comes next time & decide then if it's really worth it!
Hugs,
Des xo
I only put out about a dozen of my favorite Christmas items this year. It was soooooo easy putting it away too. I do miss having a huge tree, but the table top one with the stocking monkeys on it worked just fine. I was sort of afraid to get a big one in fear that Rowdy would discover the ornaments and destroy or knock over a large tree. He kept eye-balling the small tree and I spent a lot of time saying, 'DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THAT TREE".
ReplyDeleteDi
Oh Mona I so know what your saying my Dear friend..It took me 3 days to put up all the Christmas and I'm still taking it down..and I WON"T do it again..I don't have the energy at my age to do it all..I will just come to blogland and enjoy all of yours from now on ha ha!! Love ya girl..hope to call you next week..Hugs and smiles Gloria
ReplyDeleteHI Mona! Oh, Dear One,I did so appreciate your loving hep you gave me. You know what, as much as I love Christmas, I think you need to do what you feel like doing. It's not so much fun to decorate if you feel you have too. Why don't you just put up a little tabletop tree an let that be it? Go to your kids homes and let them do all the cooking. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, poor little one, you need some rest this weekend. It's taken me all week. I work a bit then I sit down. My 'don't want to' kicked in really hard. :)
Be a sweetie,
shelia ;)
It is like childbirth....you forget the pain and start making plans to do it again - lol....
ReplyDeleteLuckily for my my hubbie had to take ours down this year, because of my shoulder surgery....
Hugs,
Penny
Oh how I do understand. It seemed like it took forever to put up and then forever to pack it all away and I didn't even do everything that I usually do. I am so glad it is all done. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is a hint to simplify...only put your favorites out next year.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we decorate a bit at a time and yet, to undecorate, we think it must all be done in one fell swoop?
I put out three Santa's, oh, wait, two, one was left from last year!
I love what Penny said, it's kinda like childbirth...ya forget and do it all over again. I bet you will too...decoratin' is in your blood sister. Just look all do throughout the year, heck even a change in season 'ell set ya off!
ReplyDeleteMaybe ya should break it down over several days or weeks even, we don't need that back goin' out on ya sweet one.
God bless ya and have a most awesome weekend!!!
Our house is in the mid-disarray of an incomplete takedown, as opposed to the frontal disarray of the putting up, nor yet in the mess of the almost-done, where-IS-that-other-box of the finish.
ReplyDeleteAnd Caro did 99% of it, anyway. She has a double "holiday" closet filled with those huge plastic tubs, like see-through Tupperware, and each season has its several tubs. I'm just lally-gagging about, awaiting Monday, when she and I will have the day alone in the house to finish all the putting-away.
I'm feeling your feeling---I could not-would not have done all this. It was splendiferous, elegant and wonderful, with memories scattered on every surface, on each tree, but I know I would not have held out to get a quarter of it done.
But I LOVE it when it's going up, when it's done and the house is alight with all the trees and candles and fragrances of the season. The living room tree still sits there, shorn of most of its finery, with only the glass ornaments left to pack carefully into the cases, and I think I'm gonna keep my little tree alight down here as long as I want, if I have to take it down just before Easter Lunch. Or maybe I'll put eggs and flowers amongst the lights.
It's just such a pleasure and completion to hold all those memories in your hands---where each one came from, and "do you remember that time we . . ." and the kindling of a happy thought of where and when, and it's doubly hard to swear off the taking out and the arranging and the enjoying year after year.
Just be careful of YOU, My Dearie, and take things as slowly and as carefully as you need.
And a wonderful New Year to all of you, my Faraway Friend!!
rachel
Mona, I hear you! I didn't even put as much up this year. I don't mind the packing, it is carrying it up and down the stairs. But to not do it...as you say, that "is a crock!" I will have forgotten by next Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHope you New Year is going well {besides the un~decorating!}.
XO,
Jane
It used to take me two weeks to decorate and then two more to take them down. I really scaled down a couple of years ago when we had hoped to move to a smaller home. I gave alot of my things away. I now put up a few small trees in my antique child's wagon. When Christmas is over I take the ornaments off and leave the lights on. I take everything to the storage closet room. They are still sitting there and will til I get the energy to put them in the closet. I think next year I will even decorate less. Still the little trees but less stuff other places. Just do what you feel like. I think less looks best.
ReplyDeleteThere comes a time when age and circumstance change our lives, usually against our wishes. However, we should put it off as long as possible. Luckily I am still in good health and I have a healthy husband so that makes all the difference, I know. We put out every single Christmas piece we own this year. The place looked like a Christmas store! But it was perfect for us. All of our memories surrounding us and making us feel good. I will not give that up without a fight! As long as it is important to me I will soldier on!! Besides, I have a perfectly healthy daughter and granddaughter just 20 minutes away. You can bet, if we can't do it ourselves, we will ask for help from them!
ReplyDeleteDo what you feel is right for you Mona! But don't let anyone EVER tell you you're "too old" to put out the things you love! Or that it doesn't matter. If you want your things out, ask your kids to help you. If worse comes to worse find a 14 year old kid looking to earn a little extra Christmas cash and hire him/her to help with the bending and the lifting!
I will support you next year and for as long as you need it!
Oh, by the way, who says it all has to be put away right now?? Do a little at a time, get a helper, or just leave it out til next year!!! It's your choice so make it as easy as you can!
Hugs!!!
I too found harder to put everything away this year. Couldn't have anything to do with our age could it? Of course NOT. Next year I am going thru everything and donated lots of things to Goodwill. But I don't want to bring it there now because they will have to store it until Christmas time next year. That's my plan - share it with other people and only put out a few things that are very special to me.
ReplyDeleteI keep my winter things out until spring like my snowmen etc. Anything that is winter and not just Christmas. Works for me.
Hi Mona,
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I didn't do as much decorating this year as in the past. I even thought about not putting up a big tree, but I couldn't imagine Christmas without a big tree.
I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet, but it is a great deal of work. I still haven't put everything away, but I'll get there.
You'll forget all about the hard work involved and be ready to do it all again come December!
hugs
Sissie
The trouble is, the decorations go up a lot easier than they come down! Whether it is because we have the enthusiasm before and not after, I don't know, but it does seem to happen that way. I'm sorry you found it so hard this time, but it doesn't necessarily mean you will next time. I think I know you well enough to know that next year the tree will go up again as usual. You just might need some more help, that's all.
ReplyDeleteI'm back in Tennessee now, a little closer. Larry kept the tree up for me to see and tomorrow we are having a Christmas dinner together with all the trimmings. I'm not done with Christmas yet, you see :)
Blessings, Star
I can honestly say AMEN to every word you wrote!!!! Have I told you that your blog decor is one of my very, very favorites in all of Blogland? I just love it!!!
ReplyDeleteJust have a few "leftovers" to deal with. All the outdoor shed stuff is packed and stacked in the shed. The other has to be packed into my unholy mess of a third bedroom -- I think I might be able to see a tad of the bed -- that's a whole other New Year's project though!
ReplyDeleteMona, I feel your pain. It is alot of work to put Christmas up and take it down. My MIL found a teenage girl at her church who wanted to earn a little extra money. I think that's a fabulous idea!
ReplyDeleteHi there Mona. This is your long lost friend, or should I say exhausted friend. I will post all about it in a couple of days. It will be interesting trying to condense 12 months into a few paragraphs but I am up for the challenge! After 2010 I am fearless!!! LOL!
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to decorating for Christmas I am either over the top one year or I am bare bones the next. It just depends on my mood or my schedule but I always do decorate. This year was bare bones but I did go out and buy several new things for my Christmas decor. Actually the truth is, I didn't want to drag all of the decorations down and rummage through the boxes so I just went a bought some stuff. I will post the pictures soon. The story of my life lately...I will be posting Christmas pictures when everyone else is posting Valentine's. LOL!
I missed you! xxoo, Sue
I modified this year. Didnt use everything but had a nice tree and some decorations...I took everything out and put up...hubs took down while
ReplyDeletehe had time off..so it worked out well...
I hope I will always be able to do it too....
Oh Mona, you are so funny, you crack me up. I really want to see your wreath. Now I KNOW that it will look fabulous. Just poke all kinds of stuff anywhere and somehow it works. lol Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteMona, LOL! I hear you, only I'm pouting because I didn't get our Christmas up in our residence. We had our retreat decked, but I didn't stay there. I came home and got sick. So I am determined to do Christmas with my friends! I'm looking at all the decorations and trying to talk myself out of it. LOL!
ReplyDeleteXO,
Sheila :-)
It is a huge job but I love it. I still haven't gotten mine down. I was out of commission all weekend with a stiff neck so my undecorating plans are on hold for now.
ReplyDeleteMona, this year was the first Christmas spent at home in 3 years. Needless to say we had a lot of Christmas decos we didn't even remember. But we hauled all the containers down from the attic and decorated and it WAS fun. But, when it came time to un-decorate this weekend, I was determined to consolidate into at least 2 less containers by putting things for giveaway in bags. Success - we did it and next year, when we set everything up, I plan to eliminate at least 1 more container. We will still get a live tree and decorate, just a bit less.
ReplyDeleteYou too? I think the Christmas blahs hit many of us this year. I wonder why? Maybe the economy? Don't worry, I know next year we will all be full of the Christmas spirit again. Maybe we all need to do just a little less. I still have some lights to take down but it's been too darn cold! Happy New Year dear friend!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Mona! It took me a lot longer this year to get it all put away and I kept thinking "next year I am not going to do this" because it's just too much work...but I know I will. I can't do the sparse thing...but I really wish I could!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Dena
I've been so sick for the past week, I can't even think about taking the decorations down yet. They may still be up for Valentine's Day at the rate I'm going!
ReplyDeleteI feel the urge to stop putting up the decorations. A couple of years ago I bought a 4 foot fiber optic tree... I put it up every year, no babbles, a big bow on top and turn the switch on! I am thankful for the little tree with the limited time working and all it is perfect. I also have stockings hung. There is Mr and Mrs Clause that are about 3 feet tall... that is it for my decorations. I know it sounds pathetic but if it were a ton of work I don't think I would get it done! I understand totally.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by.
Happy New Year.