The older I get, the harder it is for me to get into the Christmas spirit, especially as it pertains to decorating the homestead. This year is particularly hard, as the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas barely exists (is there time enough to really enjoy the Christmas decorations...is it worth the effort?).
Year after year I chip away at the breadth and scope of my Christmas decorating (less is more, keep it simple...right?).
The older I get, the less energy I have (or am willing to devote) to spend on a massive holiday decorating campaign (and I have more arthritic aches and pains that get in the way as well).
I think my waning desire to decorate has a direct tie to the aging of my children...as their age increases, my desire decreases. My daughter and son are now in their twenties. When they were younger, I filled the house with many more decorations. When little ones are around, they give Christmas a magical quality that makes adults remember what it was like when they were younger.
My ever dwindling ability to grasp upon the Christmas spirit may also hinge upon the fact that I am usually the only one who puts up and takes down the holiday decorations each year (I haven't decorated the outside of the house this year).
So with that in mind...as each year goes by my decorations become more sparse and simple...just touches of holiday cheer strewn about the place, here and there.
This is the only decoration I have going on in my kitchen this year (I don't even have any holiday dishtowels hanging from the oven door).
On my dining room table is a milk glass trio, filled with artificial holiday flowers.
My coffee table has even less upon it.
I have added a scarf to my "Bird Girl" statue...simple, easy, quick and cute.
I have my Florida "snow man" sitting in the living room.
My Christmas Tree is very simple. It comes in two pieces and is pre-lit. I put a few glass ornaments on the palm fronds and...voila! I also display our beautiful, handmade stockings as you can see in the photo below.
When Christmas is over and before the new year is upon us, I should be able to "de-decorate" the place in no time at all, by myself and with energy to spare.
The very idea of Christmas decorating, shopping, wrapping, etc has just worn me down this year! You've echoed many of my sentiments- as the kids have gotten older and with the burden of most of the prep, maintenance and clean up of the tree, gifts, decorating, baking, shopping and wrapping solely on my shoulders, it is hard to get excited about the season. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteSimple but elegant sister! I married a man that loves putting up Christmas decorations, so let I tell him, "go for it!" Kit
ReplyDelete