Not In the Mood

Welcome to December.

~

I have to admit, I've been listening to Christmas music for a good month now.

Heck,  I've been rehearsing Christmas music with my choir since October.

But, for some reason...I haven't quite gotten in the Christmas mood yet.

This is pretty unusual for me.

Well....now that I think about it, I have noticed a gradual change over the past few years.

I used to go all out for the holidays.

Our last house even ended up on the "Christmas home tour."

Talk about Christmas coming out of your ears.

It was a holly, jolly hideaway.  There wasn't a room that didn't have Christmas (in coordinating colors, of course) thrown up all over it.

I can't believe I didn't take pictures of all of that.

I was so ambitious back then.  

And so dumb not to make sure I had evidence of it.

I think this is one of the only pictures I have from that year.

Anyway, our first Christmas in our current house also became a winter wonderland.  I even risked death, and climbed up on our ledges (that are a good 12 feet off the floor) and decorated those.  This was kind of necessity, considering Bennett-the-wonder-dog was still living with us at this time.  There was no guarantee that anything below counter height would live to see the light of day.

Look at the bottom left.  He is there...just waiting until the time is right to knock that big ole' tree over, and turn those ornaments into his own personal chew toys.

:)

What I had started to notice was that it took some convincing for me to drag the totes out, and start decorating.

The second year in our house, I didn't even want to get a tree.

I knew that the dogs would just get confused and think they were outside, and pee on the damn thing anyway.

Finally, on Christmas Eve, Mark couldn't take it anymore...so he drove to Home Depot to buy a tree.

There were two left.  Both horrible and pathetic looking.

He walked in the house with the god forsaken thing, and I immediately  banished it to the basement.

He and the kids decorated it, and I made them take it out two days later.

I was FULL of Christmas Spirit!!!! 

The year after, we got a tree.  One that I approved of.

It did, however, sit in the house, completely unadorned for a couple of weeks, until my son finally said "SERIOUSLY MOM!  Can we decorate the tree?!!!"

Once I started, I couldn't stop.  I literally went around the house, and anything I found that was gold went on that tree.  It was spectacular.

Santa even brought me just what I wished for that year.

And his "presentation" was outstanding!!

(This ^^ is what I actually woke up to!)

THEN I felt motivated to decorate. 

Well done, Santa.  Well done.

~

Well, once again...my feet are dragging.

It might have something to do with the fact that my week is starting out with this mess to deal with.

As you may recall...yesterday was the "Great Pantry Clean-Out."

Well...Mark managed to throw out the expired food, however, everything that needs to go back in the pantry is still all over the kitchen.

I guess that will be MY project tomorrow.

Because I had NOTHING else scheduled. 

~

It is probably for the best, because we all know that had someone else put it all away, I most likely would have been unhappy with the organizational method (or lack thereof) that was used.

So, I will whistle while I work. :)

~

I will admit, I am a little out of sorts this evening.  

I always write either during the day, or in the evening, so it's ready to post right away in the morning.

My daughter was on the computer tonight, working on homework, so I thought I would just go watch TV for awhile until she was done.

Well, since I didn't get around to taking my Sunday siesta, I wound up falling asleep.

Now, one would think that her family might realize that a nap at 7pm might not be conducive to a good night's sleep.

One might also think that her family might bother to wake her for dinner.

One would be wrong.

At 9:30, I finally woke up.

My loved ones were kind enough to leave a pan of cold taco meat on the stove for me.  (Although, I'm pretty sure it would have still been there in the morning, had I decided to forgo the taco experience...so we will just let that linger in our minds for a bit.)

They also left all of their dishes in the sink, because they know that dishwashing is so very therapeutic for me.

And, (this is my favorite part) when I finally sat down to eat my very very sad, pathetic, and grease laden taco,(which literally consisted of that oh-so-fresh-meat, shredded cheese, and some western dressing...just for fun!) my darling husband began turning off the lights, because he was going to bed.

He was kind enough to leave one light on in the kitchen, so if I squinted just right, I could almost see the words on the paper I was reading.

This is how I knew I was truly and passionately loved.

And so, as this month of magic begins...may we all find such joy and bliss.

For it truly is the little things in life that make it worth living.

And if nothing else, it gives us excellent fodder with which to write about.

And for that, my friends, I am ever grateful.

For with the deck in which I've been dealt, there will never be a shortage of subject matter. 

Alleluia, Amen.

Happy Monday!