White Lights and Chrisnowvalday

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Happy Chrisnowvalday!

Confused? That's okay. Welcome to my house. Have a seat and I'll explain.

Or, just take a look around. Here a Christmas village (and a Christmas tree), there a snowman, over there some ahead-of-the-game hearts.

Yes. 'Tis the season for three seasons in my house. In what I'm choosing to view as an extension of my drop and run organizational style, my house is an eclectic mix of celebrations, as the remnants of Christmas intermingle with the I-don't-want-to-undecorate snowmen and the gee-aren't-they-cute Valentine's Day hearts.

Apparently, I am reluctant to let go of the holidays. Or at least their accompanying decorations.

This is not news. Every year, we leave our tree up until at least Epiphany (one of the advantages of an artificial tree), and I'm pretty unapologetic about that. But this year, due to a late-ending fall semester, the trees went up much later than usual, and so I'm even more hesitant than usual to say goodbye to them.

Other Santas and Christmas trappings inspire much less loyalty; in fact, I put a whole pile of them away yesterday. My husband took down the outdoor lights on Saturday, and, if he hadn't been battling a cold, the holiday villages would have come down, too.

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Typically, as the Santas come down, the snowmen go up, so that the house gradually returns to an undecorated state, rather than going from festive to stark all in one day. But this year, it's been so warm that it seems strange putting out snowmen, and, since there are several spots in the mudroom (where our main tree is) that lend themselves well to February decorations, the Christmas tree and the hearts are currently coexisting.

Truth be told, it's the lights I hate letting go of. There's something peaceful about the glow of white
lights in an otherwise dark room that feels warm and comforting. Consequently, I've wrapped a mitten garland around the white lights on our banister, hoping to convince my husband that they should stay up a little longer. The heart garland is waiting on deck so I can stretch things until at least mid-February. By then, I think perhaps even I'll be tired of the lights.

Photo: Veggiegretz via Morguefile

If not, I can always retreat to my office; white lights are strung along one wall in there year round. And, when the weather gets warmer and my husband puts up the screened gazebo around our patio, there will be white lights there, too.

By next weekend, I'll be ready to let go. The trees will come down and the organized part of my personality will revel in the cleared space. But for now, I'm transitioning, replacing one tchotchke with another as I move forward into the new year.