Happy New Year, All! Ah, but this month is filled with suck! I started the new year off sick. It took a while to get motivated to get anything started or done. Now that we are in the 3rd week of January everything is moving again.

Honestly, I didn’t have a merry Christmas. I sang along to Christmas songs, we watched Christmas movies, I baked Christmas cookies, we went to Advent Church services, and did a little Christmas shopping. I just didn’t feel the Christmas this year, despite everyone reminding me of the true meaning of Christmas.

You could really see the lack of Christmas in the decorating of our Christmas tree. To start, we got the (real) tree two weeks late this year. It was a beautiful tree and I treated it very well. It drank until the very end. I got the lights on, the multi-colored ones I don’t really care for, but they must be on with the star. I put the tree skirt on and ornaments that we made or were given this year. Otherwise, we didn’t put another ornament on the tree. And it was ok. I really just want the smell of the tree and the lights on at night. We decorated around the house pretty well and DH put up lights outside. There was definitely something missing, though.

I have been working on taking Christmas down. We got a little impatient and put some Valentine clings up in the windows already. This morning I removed the star, lights, and few ornaments that were on the tree. It will go on the burn pile over lunch. It is done, poor thing!

While I was packing away the star, in its original box, I noticed in the corner it’s printed the star came from Kmart for $6.99. I believe I purchased that star back around 1999? 2000? I’m not sure exactly when I got it, but I remember Kmart, and I miss Kmart, and all the other neat things that used to be and are no more. Like Shopko. And it looks like Joann Fabric is on the way out too. It made me wonder about how things will look this time next year when I am putting Christmas away. What other stores may be gone, which people might not be with us next year, what will this year look like? It’s kind of worrisome but also kind of exciting too.

I guess I just have to work harder at feeling Christmas-y next year. Life is what you make it.

I am going to wrap up putting Christmas away and get started on my taxes soon. The fun never stops! 😀

Have a Wonderful, Productive Friday!

Missie S.