Putting away Christmas

I hate doing it. For me, it's one of the more depressing chores of the year... putting away Christmas.

The brightness of the tree lights in the house and the ones on the bushes out front kind of help me get through the gloomy weeks of the start of the winter. It's a long time until spring. Or at least it seems that way to me.

But I looked at the calendar, reminding me that my classes start tomorrow and realized that if I didn't get things stowed THIS weekend, it would be many weeks before it happened with as much ease. And this year, I wanted to take time as I put things away to sort and think about what I wanted to keep, and what I was willing to send along its way to a donation center. I don't donate junk - that gets thrown away. Things that are nice, but either not my style or my preference... those are leaving. This week!

It took all of my free time this weekend. I didn't really mind too much. It's not a chore that people around here stand in line and say, "oh BOY! Let's take down the Christmas decorations!" It seems to be a "Mom" chore. Yes, I did conscript some help to haul boxes, and to take ornaments off of the tree, but most of the job was mine alone. So I had a chance to think... to pray... and while it did make me a little blue, it was also a good thing to do by myself.

Lest you think I have color coordinated boxes and bins... with everything in perfect rows and line up in segmented divider trays... I don't. I have made progress and every box is labeled on the side AND the top. I did gradually move us out of cardboard boxes to plastic storage bins. (There was just something about putting the Baby Jesus away for the year in a liquor box that seemed a little too bizarre. I mean, I know WWJD also means "Who Wants Jack Daniels?" but...)

Ah well...

The semester starts tomorrow. Part 2 of my internship begins this week. I'm starting a water aerobics class tomorrow (where IS my bathing suit??) and the list of "what must get done" this week is very long... But that's tomorrow's list.

For now... it's time to rest. And be thankful.

At Christmas I no more desire a rose,
Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled shows;
But like of each thing that in season grows.
~ William Shakespeare

Love's Labour Lost

So to all... a good night!

Deb