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December 08 'Tis The Season..... Part 2 - Deck The HallsFor Christmas is tradition time-- Traditions that recall
The precious memories down the years, The sameness of them all. ~Helen Lowrie Marshall
Christmas is for children. But it is for grownups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts.
~Lenora Mattingly Weber
"A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a cheerful voice. "Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!"
~Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol)
This past Sunday found me on my yearly pilgrimage to my roof to string icicle lights, garland and the big Christmas wreath around the house. I usually wait until the last possible moment to do this to the great irritation of my daughter who just gets so into Christmas. I swear this kid can’t be mine. Fortunately we were blessed in my neck of the woods with unusually warm weather for over a week, which would allow those smart enough to take advantage and set up their outside décor. I, as usual, did not fall into this category of people. So with cold winds blowing I did the time honored expected fatherly job and hung the lights up with care and to my credit, didn't wait until the eleventh hour to do this temporary festooning of the manor.
Now while I don’t really enjoy the holiday, I do enjoy working outside. The air was cold but very doable. And since my son was at work and my wife and daughter are not ones for anything colder than the short burst of air when opening the refrigerator, I was assured peace and quiet. Except for Ernie (my chimney top gargoyle and general protector of the home from squirrels), I was alone.
My wife, more interested in my safety and well being than for the complete decorating package, said that I should only do the lights and forget the rest. After twenty three years of marriage, this women knows me all too well and in knowing, knows that I MUST do the whole job even though I can’t stand the Ho-Ho-Ho (my curse word for the season). Still, cold weather not withstanding, she poped out every so often to make sure I haven’t fallen off the roof and if this was found to be true, to offer up a hot cup of tea.
“So why do I continue to do this?” I ask Ernie (who at that moment is keeping his eye on a squirrel making its way in our general direction through the branch maze of a nearby tree).
“More than likely because you like the pretty lights” he replies, “Or maybe because you don’t hate Christmas as much as you profess to”.
“What do you know, you’re a stone gargoyle”.
“Yeah, but I’m sitting on a warm and cozy chimney top while you are hanging over the roof in the cold wind hanging fakery off the house”.
Can’t argue a solid point like that!
And so, the wind continued to blow but at least it was a sunny day. The crows flew about and squawked as I made one hundred and three trips up and down the ladder because of this thing or that that I left up here or down there, and the never ending adjustments and straightening of this and that as the sun made it’s way from morning to evening. When all was said and done, it took longer then I expected it to (but it always does). Never the less, I was happy with the results and with just being able to keep to myself and my thoughts.
“Looks nice” cracked Ernie with a S#!^ eating grin on his face.
“Thanks for reminding me old friend, I almost forgot” I replied with a emerging grin of my own.
Last January when I was in the pet store, they had on sale a red Christmas stocking cap for a cat that I just couldn’t resist getting for that special someone. From out of my back pocket I dug out the cap and stuck it on Ernie’s head.
“Looks nice” I said with a S#!^ eating grin on my face.
“I will get you for this you know” he said.
“Ho-Ho-Ho” I replied.
As I headed down the ladder I could hear the squirrels in the tree laughing their bushy tailed asses off.
Decorating the outside of your house for the Christmas holiday
Wake up early in the morning and procrastinate as long as you can before you realize there is no way around it but to get off your butt and do it: 0 dollars.
Budget ten minuets to dig out the lights and whatnot’s and actually spend over an hour because you don’t remember where you put them when you quickly took them down last year before the big thunderstorm; in May: 0 dollars and an empty promise not to ever do that again.
Test each and every string of lights for outages and finding everything in working order: 0 dollars and a false sense of peace.
Spending another hour after hanging the string of lights to find the culprit that is keeping the string (that I previously tested) from now lighting:
0 dollars; a tapestry of curse words; a good healthy belt of scotch whiskey.
After all is done, standing outside in the evening darkness, the house warmly aglow with lights, a mug of hot cider in my hand and my wife with her arms around my waist, her head resting upon my chest and seeing the light reflecting in her eyes: PRICELESS
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