Is Christmas over at your house? I don’t think it will ever be finished at my house. Not just because I haven’t finished my Christmas cards yet—I’m not worried about that. I think my holiday cards will include greetings for Christmas, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day this year. I’ve come to terms with that. But Christmas cleanup is driving me crazy.
I thought I was doing well when I managed to get the tree out of the house on New Year’s weekend. I decided to get it done that weekend because I could see my busy schedule in January wouldn’t give me time to get it down any other weekend. I refuse to have my Christmas tree still up in February.
So, I munched on candy canes as I took ornaments off the tree. I packed up the lights and got Chuck to quit watching football to take the tree outside. As he hauled the tree out I sealed up the box that holds the ornaments, thinking how nice it was to be nearly done.
But then I looked at the forlorn tree stand—and noticed two ornaments on the floor. They must have fallen off the tree sometime during the season. No problem, I opened the box and squished them in among the other ornaments.
Almost done! I walked through the house collecting all the Christmas odds and ends. Christmas stockings and Santa hats. Another strand of lights and a little nativity scene in the extra bedroom. My Santa and Rudolph salt-and-pepper shakers. Some tinsel garland and candles in the bathroom. The singing Santa and dancing polar bear that the grandkids love to play with. The Rubbermaid tub full of gift bags and wrapping paper.
As I hauled the boxes of decorations and Christmas accoutrements down to the cubby beneath the basement stairs, I thought to myself that I have far too much Christmas stuff. I also congratulated myself for getting it all packed away so quickly and easily. I thought I had it all finished in one day.
Smugly I sat down to relax—and saw a leftover—a Christmas bell on the windowsill. How did I miss that? No problem, I set it on the counter to pack away later. One little thing could wait.
Getting ready for work the next day I found the box that contains my Christmas pins and put it next to the bell. Then the evening’s laundry added several Christmas hand towels and dishtowels. I thought I better do another walk-through and see if I had forgotten anything else. Sure enough, there was a golden bell decoration on the guest bathroom door. I added it to the stack on the counter. Over the next few days the stack grew. It seemed like every time I entered a room I found something else left behind—a gift bag that was in the car; another in my laptop bag. Snowflake window clings on the back door. A few more holiday hand towels. I needed another box for all the leftover holiday stuff.
I found a box and packed it all up. I did another search through the house for errant items. Surely I was done now. But no, as I hurried out the door to work the next day I noticed that my coat still sported a cute little reindeer pin. I wondered—would I ever stop discovering left behind Christmas paraphernalia?
A few weeks passed and I forgot the Christmas cleanup craziness. All signs of Christmas were finally gone. And then we watched two-year-old grandson Carter for the day. He loves to play with our refrigerator magnets, so he entertained himself in the kitchen while Chuck and I prepared dinner in our Christmas-less kitchen. Or was it?
With his adorable grin, Carter held up one of his favorite magnets— Santa!
A place for everything, and everything
in its place.
Isabella Mary Beeton
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