31 December 2024

Holiday Wrap Up

 The interwebs and television are full of the New Year, New You bullsh*t right now.  Even though I know it's all relative, I still find myself extra cleaning and organizing this time of year.  Partially because new things come into the house at Christmas and I try really hard to use the One In, One Out method. 

This method found me reorganizing our closet, again.  Kevin is wired that if he can't see it, it doesn't exist.  So folding his hoodies and having them on the top shelf did not work.  Also, I had to actually physically toss them up there because it's too high for me to reach.  This also created a culling of clothing that needed to happen anyway.

Anyway.

I have The Pulse - Sirius XM loudly playing, which is a channel I'll surf when I'm in the car but don't usually play in the house.  It's not Kevin's jam but he's outside.  My point is I need Not Christmas music today, not music that will make me cry (looking at you Country music), and something upbeat.

Santa's workshop has been wrangled onto one table to be boxed and put away.  This year has gone more smoothly as I thought ahead and kept bubble wrap from packaging and extra tissue paper.  I culled some decorations, took some to the facility for Kevin's dad, and there were a few more that were relegated to the give-away box upon reboxing.  And we're not talking about the Christmas tree.  Just shush.  The only thing preventing this task from being completed is me.

I did not buy any decorations or ornaments this year.  Well, I bought one tree candle.  Although, I did bring decorations home from my childhood: about a dozen Curt Adler and Shiny Brite ornaments, a set of felt angels, an angel I chose when I was very young, two candles and a Santa with only four reindeer.  I don't know where the other five went and I actually don't remember there being more.  A bottle brush tree and a big candle light that matches the Santa I took from the house years ago.


These all mixed nicely with my mother-in-law's decorations that I inherited almost two years ago and that feels soothing.  It seems this house prefers vintage decorations and trees.  We've only lived in it almost twenty years so I guess it's good that we've  finally solved the issue.  Although it would be nice not to have death involved, I'm just saying.

I went shopping for clearance items yesterday. I bought cards for Kevin's staff for next year. (how weird is that sentence)  Then I did a quick browse because I could, with no Lucy waiting or people needing things.  I broke down and bought a wrapping paper organizer because it was $9 and I've been using a repurposed quilt bag.  OMG WHY DIDN'T I DO THAT SOONER!?!?!

 I bought another ornament storage box because I filled the one I bought last year and still had leftover unhoused ornaments. Now I've brought ornaments from the parents' house.  I boxed decorations up into 2.75 totes, which left room for ornaments to be placed on top but then they're still vulnerable to breaking and that box would always have to be stacked on top and it's just easier to spend $10 on another storage box. gdammit.

So, anything that needed donated is donated, items needed returned are returned (only one!!), mail is sent, bills are paid, and everything is stored away.  The house is clean and we have all the groceries we need AND I'm leaving to go pick up dinner for the New Year's Eve that we will celebrate quietly here at home on Eastern Time.

And yet the tree remains.  It was on my list to do today but I just don't have the motivation for it.  When I was young, my mother used to say it was bad luck to take down the tree prior to the New Year.  I've suspected it was a pretend superstition to keep a glimmer of happy in that house.  But, it can't hurt to try.

Happy New Year Everyone!


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