I made my first batch of Christmas cookie dough this morning. Here it is, December 12, and I’m just getting started! The truth is, we’re going low key on Christmas this year.
It might be the weather– the El Nino is holding strong. We went out to pick up a trailer from my sister-in-law who lives on the Mississippi on Thursday, and it looked like this.
That’s green grass and a spring scene more than a December one. Not that I’m complaining! We also saw a lot of eagles on the drive, which was a bonus.
It could also be the trailer. A couple days after Thanksgiving, when almost all of his daughters had flown back to NYC, Steve went down to Sleepy Eye to help his Aunt Frances (age 87) move up to St. Joseph. Each of the three elderly adults we’ve relocated this year has been different. With Aunt Frances, the main challenge is her stuff. She has a lot of it. She was unable to pare down before it was time to move, so Steve spent five days with her getting packed and then on the move itself, when we unloaded enough to fill her new cottage and her garage right up to her car. She has many sweaters. She has many, many pairs of shoes. Luckily, she has a walk-in closet in the new place. Even so, the sweaters are mostly still in a giant box. And on this next (last?) trip down, she said to make sure to bring back her summer clothes.
This weekend there is a team there, and the goal is to get most of the stuff to local thrift stores by the giant trailer load. One positive thing (there are actually many positive things– Frances has kept her spirits up the entire time and proven to be much more adaptable than one might expect) is that she wants to sell the house quickly. A realtor has already been showing it. So she’s all for getting it cleared out now, and she doesn’t want to pay for a storage space, so that limits how much stuff she can actually have with her.
What with all the consolidating and moving and decluttering, putting up the tree and getting out the decorations has not been high on the list. In fact, I’ve spent more time culling my own clothes and amassing large bags of stuff for Goodwill on our end. It’s been motivating. Also, I’m not one to decorate by myself, even with eggnog.
Still. If I didn’t at least put up the garland and lights in the kitchen, I wouldn’t get the tops of my cabinets cleaned for the year. (See how appealing this decorating task is?)
So this morning, Christmas tunes playing (may I recommend Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings? Our son-in-law is the drummer, so I’m partial, but it is a great holiday CD– and you can get it in green vinyl!), I got out the step stool and the last working string of lights and did a bit of decorating.
I hung the Christmas paintings, including this fine one by Steve.
I made the batter for the gingerbread trees.
And this afternoon, I’m off to a friend’s (heated) greenhouse to plant the first of their winter greens!! Who says you can’t have it both ways?
Susan, I enjoy reading your blog very much! Thank you for sharing your talents and life with me.
Colleen K Johnson
Thank you for reading and letting me know!
I also love Steve’s print, especially since I didn’t at first, then it slowly dawned on me. Lovely!
I, too, have mixed feelings about this warm winter. Mostly makes me nervous about the planet. Love your raising of winter greens!
I have, and this is unusual for me, gotten into decoraating, in fact I put up a tree for the first time in 30 years because the Muslim students living with me really, really wanted a real American Christmas. So, we’ve got a tree with lights and candy canes and a lighted angel on top and I’m getting their stockings stuffed (it will be a surprise). Bravo, Muslims! You brought me back to European folk customs!
That’s great, Reva! I had some Aussies and Brits for Thanksgiving the first year I lived in Minnesota. It was a total flop as they were more cynical about the American holiday customs!