Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for November 30, 2020

Seems the urgency to decorate is not reciprocated!

Yep, time to install the runway lights for Santa.

“Casting pearls before….”. DON’T SAY IT, ARLO!

Every family has memories that fall to the parents to keep alive. Ours used to be a customized oversized Christmas tree which meant moving a couch out, a day to erect, and two more to decorate. Each child, and then grandchild, would search for their own special ornaments. It was a sight but became ever more dreaded as the nest emptied. Several years ago we opted for a new tree, prelit, only a chair wide, and with room for only a fraction of the ornaments. It was instantly and universally hated.

Christmas is done in my family. Mom left us three years ago, my 92 year old dad lives at the nearest veterans home, he has COVID so that will be a memory soon. No Christmas Eve with my in laws this year, but that’s all we have left

Thanksgiving as the feast at the end of the harvesting time will have to be moved into December soon, as global warming continues.

Hands in pockets? Tell your story walkin’, Arlo.

In my neighborhood, people put the xmas lights up as much as two weeks ago. I am the only home with no decorations. I like walking at night and looking at the lights.

Ouch! See you again tomorrow, then.

I no longer put up a Christmas Tree since I have five cats.

Good one Janis!

For a while, I was buying live trees and planting them after. This year, I’m getting 13 large trees cut down just before xmas. We will plant an orchard afterward.

As the years slip past you …

The wonder of Christmas. You can be unique just by boasting of what you are not doing.

And for a few years it was the last and penultimate Thursday of November. The day after Thanksgiving was the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season and during the Depression President FDR wanted to help businesses by extending the shopping season so he proclaimed the next to last Thursday as Thanksgiving. Republicans and businesses they owned continued to celebrate on the last Thursday until this practice ended.

https://time.com/3603622/fdr-moved-thanksgiving/

FTFA: “By the end of 1941, Roosevelt had signed a bill officially sticking Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, whether or not it was the last Thursday of the month. His attempt to give Americans a longer holiday season had proved futile — but, as anyone at a mall this Friday could attest, his instinct about the nation’s desire to get shopping wasn’t entirely misguided.”

Yesterday, I decorated our house for Christmas under sunny, 78 degree skies.

In other words, “Shut Up”…….

That was a very rude comment from Janis. Becoming the norm for her.

They talk through each other the way my parents used to.

When I was a wee child, one of the presents for Christmas was the tree, which my parents brought in and decorated Christmas Eve after we had gone to bed. I have no idea how they did that (along with everything else). By the time my sister was in elementary, trimming the tree was done much earlier and had become the 3 siblings’ responsibility.

I used to give Christmas ornaments to my children and grandchildren. They were usually on a theme of what was special for them that year.When they were grown, they had memories to put on their own trees. I hope they think of me when they see them.

For the first time in many years I’m staying home for Christmas instead of traveling to the in-laws and then spending Christmas day with my family. Prior to all of that I lived alone. So I’m actually looking forward to putting up a Christmas tree with the wife this year. It will be the first time in awhile.

Janis, just talk so much Arlo can’t get a word in edgewise…

“Keep something in reserve in case we ever need to get rid of overstaying guests.”

Last year time slipped away. We do an event, Candlelight nights at a restored period village – with our reenactment unit before & after Christmas (our favorite of the year as we get to stay in first person every night?talk with people about the family who lived in the house/life in the period. Some members of the public have commented to husband (he is easier to reach to talk to – I am usually talking to a mob of children as I have the area with the children’s St Nicholas Day items (family was Dutch) – that they only come to the event to visit with us. Well, last year it worked out that most of the event was before Christmas. Plus other goings on in general & I had not finished course work exams so I could continue to prepare tax returns which had to be done by Dec 31 – so on Dec 22 I told husband that we were not going to get our normal decorations & trees setup in the house in time – concerned that he would be upset. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had figured this at the start of the week before & was afraid to mention it to me as I would insist on getting it done and wear myself out trying. I set up the tabletop tree normally in our studio with only items we have made on his weaving table in the living room with a SMALL selection of favorite ornaments. As the holiday went along I brought out some of my embroidered decorations and Christmas bears.

So this year the decorations inside MUST go up or we both know they will never do so again. I have started clearing out the dining room of stuff that has piled up or not been put away so I can wheel our DVD chest (husband made it) from the living to dining room as the big tree goes where it is normally. I have been planning where I can fit his weaving inventory and looms in the studio/LR – normally not a problem – but my work table covered in spare food this year & we need access to same, also where to store 3 large plastic boxes of food that is in the dining room. 5 trees altogether inside.