UN-Decking Adventures

I love Christmas decorations. I love MY Christmas decorations. They used to be my late mother's. So, having them out feels like she's around. Now they are mine and I can do with them what I want. And I do.

My mother's tendency to collect... makes doing themes easy and fun. Like this year, I did a display of all the angel decorations in the front entry. And lit it up with tree lights making it look really pretty. Last year, I had all the critter decorations (like deer, bears, mice, cats, dogs... and other animals) spread out on a long table with branches and lights making a "Forest of Creatures Stirring" (from the "not a creature was stirring" line).

So, last Tuesday (Jan. 9), I started un-decking the halls. Usually, 3 days it's all done. But once I got the tree down... that was it. The tree was packed up (artificial tree)... and put away. But everything else, the lights, the ornaments, the big giant Mr. & Mrs. Santa, the angels, the Santas, the Snowmen, and all the rest of the decorations... spread out on every table and sofa in the living room. Waiting to be boxed up and stored away with the tree in the garage.

First, I sorted them... but not how I usually sort - by the "collections" that Ma did... Angels in one box, Santas in another box, Snowmen, Cat decorations, ... each of her collections got a box.

No, something in my gut had me sort out all the home-made ones that my sister, mother, grandmother made. Then the ones that REALLY tugged at my heart. This is something I've never done. And it's thrown me for a loop. I'm sure there's a reason for me to sort this "different" way. "Gut something's" usually are on the mark. (OK... I've never had a gut feeling that wasn't on the mark in some way).

So... Adventures in Un-decking the halls continues. But I am proud to say... I got all the Christmas tree lights boxed up and the Christmas village boxed up. That's two boxes ready for storage.