It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Here it is, just over a week before Christmas (at this writing), and I, Kathy Mudd, have my decorations up, most of my Christmas cards sent, and several presents actually wrapped and under the tree.

This is unusual territory for me. I’m the queen of last minute shopping, and sometimes I have to wrap on Christmas morning, just before distributing the gifts.

Of course, we agreed this year would be a small Christmas. Jimmy semi-retired this year, without proper planning, so we had to cut back.

Hannah and Caleb, being the good children they are, went Christmas tree shopping, so we, being the elders, suggested they get us one too. They did. I guess I should pay them for that. Oops. So, when they brought it, Caleb went ahead and set it in the stand. What…not propped in a bucket of water for a week or more? Nope…straight in the stand.

Then, I don’t know what came over Jimmy, but he put lights on it the very next day. (Not enough, I might add, as there are never enough lights to suit me.)

But then, once the tree was up, with lights, it was only fitting for me to start decorating it. So, I started decorating…but it is a process. However, I am far enough along I have taken the ornaments and stuff I didn’t use back downstairs. I really can’t bear to part with them. I might decorate differently one day and need those. Or we might get the spirit at the office, and put a tree up here and need more ornaments. So the tree is up and decorated, and I actually started addressing Christmas cards the first of the month, so I was able to get that mess out of the way before I started wrapping.

But, there’s still nutcrackers. Well, my oldest stepchild, Mandy, came over last week, and lo and behold brings me an early Christmas gift…a gold and white nutcracker. He’s beautiful. But he needed company. (Her husband actually thought of me and bought the nutcracker…good job, Tommy!)

So I finally quit being lazy and made the trek to the basement and brought up the two bins. No small feat…they’re large bins. Out came the nutcrackers.

Now that is one thing I collect—nutcrackers—and none of them will crack a nut, I’m afraid. But they are so colorful and fun. I have a frog nutcracker, and a Santa at the beach. I have sparkly nutcrackers and fairly plain nutcrackers. I have musical nutcrackers and themed nutcrackers.

Caleb and Hannah came back over Sunday, thank goodness, so I was again able to put my Wizard of Oz nutcrackers on the entertainment center. (It takes climbing and Jimmy and I are not too keen on climbing.) That is, I was able to direct Caleb how to place them.

My nutcrackers range in size from ornament-sized to three feet tall. I have several that are about a foot tall, and they can go on the mantel or elsewhere. Most go on the mantel, so my mantel overflows. I have probably 20 or more on the mantel. They’re crowded. By the time you read this I may have move some. I already added several to the tree.

I love my gingerbread man nutcracker, and he, along with six others, line the steps, cause there’s only so much room on the mantle. And, there’s only so many flat spaces to place these guys. I like the ones lining the steps. but the steps are used at this time of year, so I’m not sure it’s the best place for them. If I could clean my kitchen counters off…I could put them there (Goal for next year!)

Anyway, I still have to get gifts for the game, and several more small things that will end up in stockings, but I’m more ready than I think I’ve ever been at this time. Of course, we’re celebrating early cause Emily has to work in Colorado on Christmas eve and Christmas day. But, it’s o.k. She’ll be here today, and we will celebrate!

And, we’ll keep celebrating the birth of our Saviour with each passing day, because that’s really what counts. Merry Christmas!!!