Just a little tree:

One thing that will make things easier this Christmas is putting away the tree. I can't believe I didn't put up a huge tree this year; it seems almost sacrilegious.

My living room is pretty small, too. A big tree occupies a lot of space, so I got on line to Jackson & Perkins and bought a tiny little live tree, complete with ornaments and lights.

When it arrived, I took it out of the box, adjusted the ornaments, set it on the hearth and plugged it in!

Keeping it watered is easier, too, because I don't have to crawl under it. My husband and I have been very pleased and will probably do the same thing next year!

Time to pack it up!

Here it is again, New Year's Day! It makes me sad because I start packing away the Christmas decorations. Sometimes, I just wait till the Epiphany, or Old Christmas, as folks around here call it.

If I do wait that long, it takes me till March to get it all put away. So, I've already put away my twinkling deer from the front yard. (It was warm day before yesterday.) Now I've got to get busy.

Once again, this year, I'm going to try and be organized about it. Can you hear Santa laughing from Hawaii? "HO! HO! HO! That's very funny!"

Well, it's part of my plan to make Christmas easier next year.

Remembering

All the news tributes to stars that have died this past year reminded me that stars in my life have passed, too, a couple without acknowledgement. So, I wrote a check to Gideon's International for Memorial Bibles for each of them. One card is ready to mail. I wrote about a happy memory for the family I sent it to. Happy memories are a good way to keep Christmas.
Here's a link to the Gideon Memorial Bible Fund:

https://www.gideons.org/TGI.WEB/TGI.Web.PublicWebsite/pages/MemorialBibleCardsOverview.aspx?PGID=1

Recycling wrapping paper

Martha Stewart had an excellent show yesterday. Her "embellished gift bags" would make for a wonderful way to use up scraps of beautiful wrapping paper.

January

So what can I do in the upcoming month to prepare for next year?

1a. There's the usual buying of wrapping paper, bows and tags. I guess I could inventory what I have on hand and look for gaps. I recycle bows and bags. I know I'm low on red and green bows. I could also throw out old ratty stuff I know I won't use again.

1b. I wish I had the where-with-all to choose gifts for next year while the sales are good. Who knows what anyone will want?

1c. This year I saved money by printing Christmas post cards. I already had the cards from a previous project. Postcard postage was only 27 cents. I also saved paper by not using envelopes. My postcards also saved the postman space in his mailbag.

I could start by printing next year's cards, now. I sent a picture of myself and my husband at Christmas, this year. Next year, I may use a picture of my front door with a wreath on it, or my hearth with decorations, or my toy snowmen, etc.,etc. I could address the ones I know I'll send now, with the hopes of meeting some new folks to send a card next year! That's in line with my second goal, keeping Christmas spirit all year.

Purpose

I don't like Christmas as much as I used to. It's too much work in too little time. It's too much about money, too. Christmas needs change as bad as America does.

I always have liked the idea of keeping Christmas in your heart all year round. That never happens, though I try to live a generous life.

So the purpose of this blog is two fold:

1. I'm going to try to prepare for Christmas over the course of the year.

2. I'm going to look for ways to keep the Christmas spirit all year.