Logic wins out for the holiday

It was a sad, but logical, moment in our Christmas Season. We had realized last Sunday, the 21st, that our in-house Christmas Season was over. I had the house looking very 'holiday', but the grand party we gave was over and the houseguests had left. We ourselves would be leaving Christmas Eve to spend two days in Dallas having Christmas with the kids and their in-laws. It was only logical to go on and take everything down.

Monday the 22nd dawned very cold. The spouse had taken the week off, the better to visit with the English relatives, and it was too cold to golf, his activity of choice. He was, he informed me, available to help where he had never (made himself) available before. It was a watershed moment if I would but see it as such and take advantage of him to cart and carry. He figured we'd have it done by lunch (we did) and then, his household duties discharged for the season, his afternoon would be open to something more his liking.

I was reluctant to take it all down, but also I didn't relish the idea of arriving home on the afternoon of the 26th and staring at Christmas. My family traditions in no way allowed for the tree to be left up to Epiphany. If anything, we usually spent the afternoon of the 25th boxing it all back up.

Logic won out and we took the tree down. Most of the bric-a-brac associated with the holiday also was boxed up. I left the colorful linens and one Nativity. The reindeer collection came out of the china cabinet and my cat/Texas brag/local vintage items went back in.

But, as last year, I missed most the lights and greenery up the staircase.

I'm over it now. Glad it's down and put up. Waiting under the attic pull-down stairs are the final offerings for storage. By tomorrow, I'll be ready for the New Year.