It is Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. The food is gone, the moment passed, it is now time to move forward, head on, into Christmas! I am a bit more organized this year. I have completed the shopping for my grandchildren. My own children are all grown up and really prefer money so that is easy. The Hubs usually gives me a list -- mostly mail-order things so that is good. All in all, I think I am doing ok.
I was a bit annoyed yesterday, however. I allowed myself to go to Target and Michael's late yesterday afternoon -- something I never do on the day after Thanksgiving and for a brief moment I thought I was "late" with the holiday. Naturally things were in a horrible disarray but that isn't what was so perplexing. The problem that I was having was the complete lack of Christmas-y things to begin with. Usually Target has an abundance of wrapping and decorations and this year there were only two aisles dedicated to the holiday. Maybe the company should re-evaluate their huge remodel and go back to the days of less glitz and more merchandise.
I was also annoyed at Michael's. I went looking for small beads for a cross stitch project and their needlework department in this particular store is appalling -- I could practically hold all the products in my arms! So, off to Joann's I went and I realized that I really need to visit my cute little local needlework store which isn't so local. It is The Stitch Niche in Arlington -- not far but not around the corner, either. Going there takes up a morning by the time you figure the drive back and forth with the traffic and then the time spent in the store which is never really short. It is one of those stores that you can't walk into, pick up what you want and leave. It lures you in. It is one of those charming, magical places that is small, packed full of merchandise and, while it it is well organized, you still have to look through things to find what you what you want and that is like opening Pandora's box!
Anyway, I digress.
Today will be spent decorating the house. We put up the Christmas Village which has now become the Hubs project -- thank goodness -- he is much better at it than I am. All that is left to do on that is the accessorizing and decorating the tree that is in the middle of the "village". For the last couple of years I have been putting up a "big" tree in addition to the tree in the village but since we will not be home for Christmas this year I decided to dispense with that tree and just add a few little decorations around the house -- a few candles, some decorative hand towels in the guest bath -- that sort of thing. I usually hang stockings -- a couple of generic, monogrammed ones made from blue velvet for Hubs and me and then I hang two handmade (from a kit) stockings that my grandmother made for my children on their first Christmas. My son was only 20 days old when he first used his -- my daughter was three months old so these have been around for a while, used each year and are showing their age but each year when I hang them I remember my grandmother and smile and that is what it is all about.
So, now that the morning tea has been consumed, it is time to get busy. I will be done with my part long before the Hubs is done with his -- he definitely has the more labor intensive job. Perhaps photos will follow.
Have a wonderful Saturday!
