I love Christmas lights. Multi-colored. Non-LED. Yes, there is a huge difference between the old and newer light strands, as I have become well aware of this year. Oh, how well I know.
Every year it seems that the urge to decorate hits a little earlier. We travel to Indiana for Thanksgiving, so my home is not required to look the part for Thanksgiving. I know the voices are many about giving Thanksgiving its rightful position as a holiday inbetween October 31st and December 25th. I pull out my ceramic serving plate on which the boys' handprints are turkeys, place it on the bar, cover it with goodies to share, and feel at peace in my heart that I have paid homage to T-Day. If there happens to be stockings hung by the fireplace and a tree in the corner of the room at the same time, I do not think the plate minds sharing the space. Just sayin'.
This fall was a little different than my norm. While I should have been toting and unpacking Christmas boxes and running a gazillion errands for working lights, purchasing little Christmas extras for the new house, and baking holiday treats ahead of time, I was running to doctor appointments, making more appointments over the phone, or having and then recuperating from surgery.
Prior to surgery, I let myself give in to those voices saying to wait on the tree going up. I brought out a few things and waited on others. No lights went up before surgery or Thanksgiving.
Huge mistake.
My ideal of awesomeness come December 1st, is to be able to sit and enjoy the twinkling Christmas lights, a mug of hot cocoa in hand. Soft glow, happy faces, warm fuzzies. None of this "Let's get this up so we can enjoy it....Oh, wait, those lights no longer work...Guess I will have to go to town and get more tomorrow." kind of nonsense.
Recovery from my lumpectomy was quicker and less painful than getting the lights up and working this year. I was frustrated with myself for not going with what works for us. I vowed to never again wait. I missed almost 8 full days of December bliss.
Yesterday evening, playing around with the settings on my new camera, I thoroughly enjoyed that bliss. The view from my chair...
Joy and peace abound now where frustration and chaos once lived.
Comments
Post a Comment