Truths: Deck the Halls

So, this weekend was all about decorating our home for the holidays. It sounds so warm and fuzzy – so Normal Rockwell or Martha Stewart.

I don’t know about the rest of you but, for us, putting up the lights, garland, and all the other crap – just isn’t so glorious or memory making.

Even though I might come across as a “bah humbug” type of person – I have over 22 tubs of Christmas garb not to mention 6 Christmas trees and numerous large snowmen, etc. I have A LOT.

And, that really shines through as my husband and I trudge up and down the basement stairs bringing up containers and finding a place for them. It is about then that I wonder, silently to myself, because I know my husband is already thinking it: “Why the Hell do I have so much stuff?”

If carrying the insane amount of tubs up at least one flight of stairs, sometimes two, wasn’t enough – then lets move outside to the lights.

Sure, the previous two weekends have been in the 50’s. Beautiful weather to be outside and string lights. But, for us, those weekends were filled with commitments – so we were left with this weekend: overcast with a high of 30! Go figure.

Last year our icicle lights finally hit the end of the their life so we threw them all out and decided to get new ones “next year” – which is this year.

Since we just had our entire front porch bricked and new columns made - a rather “Curb Appeal” makeover for HGTV fans – (and since it cost us nearly every penny we had) I wanted to show it off and do something better.

Something I could picture but, of course, my husband could not. He looked at me like I was dreaming up some crazy concoction which would end up being his very nightmare.

I guess it was his nightmare for a few moments as we wound lights around thick greenery. I could tell he was unsure.

While that went unusually well – all the lights continued to light up even after they were hung, we moved on to the ugliest tree in the world.

We have this completely misfit evergreen tree. I had always wanted to showcase it as a “Charlie Brown” tree and this year we finally did. We found the largest light bulbs there are and my dear husband risked his life to string them. We added one of those blow ups of Snoopy in front of it (everyone has one of those blow-ups!) and BAM – it was as ugly and as beautiful as I had hoped.

Two of the inside 6 six trees ended up in the front window downstairs and one of the windows upstairs as four new pre-lit wreathes in all of the 2nd floor windows.

All of which my husband initially despised… until night came upon us and he walked to the end of the driveway and looked back.

He was amazed. And, I was gleaming as bright as the house. “Have a little faith in me,” I said.

It was better than an “I told you so,” right?

So, the outside of our house is done – just in time because it snowed last night! And all of the miscellaneous stuff is up inside but we (I) still have two trees to decorate. And, I am exhausted.

Which brings me back to the Normal Rockwell scenario… There was no time this weekend to put on an apron (I don’t even own one) and bake cookies while the rest of the family did the decorations. There was no time to sit by the fire and admire the beauty of the season.

I wasn’t sitting with a cup of hot cocoa writing out Christmas cards to send (I don’t even have my damn holiday picture done yet)

No, we lit an evergreen candle, ordered in pizza and passed out watching football. All of us just relieved that “it” was all done.

Me, secretly, wondering, “Why the Hell do we put ourselves through this every year?”

For the memories, I know – but are the memories of joy and noel or are they of trudging up and downstairs with tubs and untangling lights?

That is a hard call.