It's here at last, Xmas Day! The most X-citing day of the year. Yes, there are the gifts and the relatives, and the contemplation of all I didn't get done (stack of cards addressed but never sent, as usual? Check!) But the really thrilling part is what comes next: Putting it all away!
Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!
Oh, you think I'm joking, don't you? Well, you are so wrong. See, I grew up with a tradition that the house must be clean come January 1st. Tree and decorations taken down, things replaced by new gifts packed and taken to the thrift store or tossed if too ratty, the general mess of the holidays cleaned up and the household ready to start in on the new year's troubles with as few of the old year's as possible. And I only have 5 days to do it in! And on the sixth day, I make a nice simple dinner of corn bread, greens, and black-eyed peas. And that is my favorite holiday dinner of all.
I finished all the wrapping and deciding who gets what on Christmas Eve (except for my daughter and son-in-law, I can't generally remember what I got for who), and started the process of putting all the papers and tissues and bows away, and attacked the Room of Doom where such things as gifts waiting for wrapping and projects hoping to be completed lie in wait, strewn on every flat surface, and on some surfaces which are not quite flat but allow for artful balancing. The Room of Doom is much less doomful now, having transferred the doom to my knees and feet since I foolishly did my sorting without wearing shoes. Which means without orthotics. Which means I will be paying for my oversight for quite a while. But no rest for my weary soles! There is more cleaning to be done in the early morning before the day's festivities begin. And then there is breakfast to cook.
Just knowing that the new year is coming, I am feeling much perkier. I might even get some cards in the mail.
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9 comments:
Hey, I like your tradition, this place could use a clean up. Since leaving my traditions I have ended up with a messier house and while there is no Xmas for moi, I can still do cleaning. I hope you enjoy the mess of holidays packed away - there is a satisfaction with a clean corner or table top. I hope you have a very restful time and that something cometh for someone in your household!
Happy Christmas! It is so good that the stress is finally diminishing, and some time will become free! I might follow your example and get the house sparkling, too. Then again, if we take a realistic stance, I probably wont.
Have a great rest of day!
I wouldn't go so far as to claim the house gets "sparkling." More like "semi-orderly." But I did manage to get most of the holiday mess cleaned up, and I will get the decorations down and packed next. Then I finish up the Room of Doom, and my bedroom. That should leave me sitting pretty for a while. It will also leave me more exhausted and hurting, but I have days off, so it's now or never!
Belated Merry Xmas day to you;) My whole house is the room of doom! Well heck with it....I'm too sore to care! Nest week we'll have 6 adults here, so messes will happen:) But those are THE best kind of messes:)
Many returns of the season to you, ETL. I am in awe that you are doing such a physically demanding job, so I am not surprised if your house is a bit on the disorderly side. OTOH, I suppose Mr. ETL has taken over most of the day to day, so it is likely no worse than how the typical man keeps house.
Oh, you poor, poor dear.
(Heh, just teasing! Happy New Year to the Mister, also. May your lives together be joyful and your children healthy and successful.)
Ohh, I love your 'simple meal' - it sounds divine! And I'm REALLY craving to have all my stuff away, since I'm still dealing with these pesky moving boxes, but have been slowed/stalled by the help I need being unavailable due to work, freak snow accumulations, etc.
STILL, I am aiming for as much to be away and tidied for the new year! It DOES feel good to get a good, fresh start, doesn't it?
I wish you and yours all the best this season and into 2009.
Keep blogging! :)
Lisa
A belated Happy Xmas to you. I like your New Year's version of spring cleaning. My home needs it big time. Now that I've moved back in, I have the task of unpacking all the boxes that the "contents girls" just left packed up. I didn't realize there would be so much chaos after moving back in. No tree this year, so that makes it easier. I'm looking forward to tossing things and sending things to charity and tidying things up. It'll just take me a few weeks. I hope that your marathon clean doesn't wipe you out too much... but it sounds rewarding!
I love the idea of getting everything cleared out for the new year. The *idea* is fabulous. If I could hire a crew of willing helpers, I would be right there with ya.
I hope you got enough done to satisfy, but not injure.
Happy New Year!
OSM
Lisa, Donimo, OSM: Happy New Year! I didn't get as much done as I wished, but I did get quite a bit done. And I should be able to get most of the rest finished off in the next few days. Lisa and Donimo, a lot of what I am cleaning up is the remnants from my having moved way back in March. There's only so much of it I can do, and when you rent and aren't completely sure that you will be in the same place come the next year, unpacking becomes mentally even more onerous. I really ought to rent a storage room, I suppose.
Dinner is still cooking, and I have my doubts about my black-eyed peas (what up, grocery store? Why did you only have "pre-soaked" peas in stock? This is goddamn Texas, for chrissakes! You know there is seasonal demand and has been forever and will be forever. So, let's not have this shortage again, OK?).... Oh, sorry for the diversion. The greens and roast pork are coming along nicely. And I am going to make some corn bread, and that will be good too, because I'm good at making corn bread.
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