Sunday, November 21, 2010

It takes more than a village

Today is November 21st. November. Last night we looked outside and saw the tree in our neighbor's front yard all lit up for Christmas. And if you want to get technical yesterday was only November 20th. Is it me or is it all starting up just a little bit early this year???

Here's the deal...I am not in the Christmas spirit. There. I said it. I look around and see the lights and the decorations everywhere I go and I'm feeling sort of eh about it all. Our little town put up their lamppost wreaths sometime last week which look nice and add a little sparkle to the village but still. It's November. I can't decide if its me and I'm just not feeling it this year or if its because its way too early.

I did suggest to hubs that he put the outside lights on the trees this weekend because it was relatively warm and there was no precipitation. We won't be turning them on until after Thanksgiving though...doing so even one minute earlier is against house rules here.

Last year I hosted a big crowd of family for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year I am not. I'm cooking but it will be a much smaller feast. Last year was also our first Thanksgiving in the US in many years, our first Christmas in the states in three years, and our first Christmas in a new home, all of which helped fuel the holiday spirit. I think it kicked in somewhere around early September and was still hanging around mid January.

This weekend I tried to jump start things. I finished menu planning for Thursday, did a big shop to get most of the essentials for preparing the meal, ordered my fresh turkey from a local market, and I even set the dining room table with my china and crystal which usually makes me feel oh so happy.

Still... not really feeling it.

Sunday afternoon I decided to pull out my Snow Village. Some people leave pieces of their village out year round but I am not one of those people. The snow village only comes out around Thanksgiving (usually after) and gets packed up sometime in January. I have quite a few pieces and they're all in boxes within other boxes which are stored in the basement which means much lugging up and down stairs and also much unpacking and sweeping up of the Styrofoam storage mess. Just getting it out and ready to display is a big job.

I like to put most of the pieces on top of my kitchen cabinets but hubs had forbidden me from standing on the counters with electrical wiring and fragile ceramics without him there to act as spotter so I put it all on the kitchen counter until he was finished with the outdoor lights.

Here is most of my snow village...


Are you thinking what I was thinking? Because I looked at the table and honestly my first thought was, 'Why did I get all of this out today???' Now that its out of the boxes it pretty much needs to be put in place for the holidays.

And if I want lights in my village, which I do, then this must also be faced...


Let's be like Scarlett and think about that tomorrow shall we...

I was looking back at some of my posts from this time last year and there was one just before Thanksgiving where I listed all the things I was looking forward to in that next month. We had many things planned including re-visiting holiday traditions and decorations we hadn't seen since moving abroad, a show in the city, New Year's Eve in the city, and more. While this holiday season will be very different from the last there is still much to look forward to including...

daughters in the house, baking and eating an angel pie, cooking with my daughters, my brother and sister in law coming for the day after Thanksgiving meal, seeing the Smoky Mountains in all their winter beauty, a family road trip, corn pudding, the smell of turkey, a walk after the meal on Thanksgiving day, watching Elf, Home Alone, and White Christmas, daughter2 playing Christmas carols on the piano, cinnamon scented candles, cranberry bread, playing games, new pajamas, a fire in the fireplace, hikes in the woods, Christmas Eve, butter creams, and most especially, the story of a Baby who changed everything

So...what about you? Are you already playing Christmas music and decorating your tree(s) or are you still trying to figure out where October went? If you're like me and are feeling more of the latter no worries..I'm pretty sure there's still plenty of time to find your Christmas spirit.

20 comments:

  1. Hi,
    I am a newbie to your site, but have very much enjoyed reading through some of your posts! Your cornbread dressing sounds amazing...I would love to know how to make it if it's not a family secret. My Grandma use to make it but I never wrote down the recipe.

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  2. I can't find October and I still really need it. I'm a little panicked at the thought that there are only 34 days left until Christmas. I keep thinking I really should get my Christmas music out, when most years I've already been listening to it for weeks. What happened?!

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  3. As of tonight, all decorations are up and in place. I put the inside decos up yesterday and the outside today but the outdoors lights won't be turned on until the day after Thanksgiving. House rules here too! Our immediate family Christmas is one week from today so I wanted all of the Christmas decorations up to hopefully make it feel more Christmasy.

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  4. I have to admit that my Christmas spirit has been lacking the last several years. It started when I was back in college and had the stress of papers and finals. Oy! Then, it was the two Christmases spent on unemployment. Not real fun, let me tell you. This year is a little better. Although I am barely making more than I was on unemployment, I do have a job. But, it's kicking my butt, so I'm worn out.

    But, that didn't stop me from getting my son and the hubster to help decorate...before Thanksgiving. This hasn't happened in years. I wanted to surprise my daughter, who's on her way home from college.

    I think it comes and goes. It's according to life and whatever you have going on.

    Hugs to you. Don't force it. Just go with the flow.

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  5. I will admit, I have decorated much earlier than usual, but after looking at the calendar, it was the only free weekend I had to do it. We have a Christmas wedding to attend this year, our daughter's boyfriend is graduating in December and that makes things a bit crazier. I also wanted to have time to enjoy Adelaide being home from college for Thanksgiving and Christmas and not be so busy "doing things". Maybe now we can just chill out and enjoy baking, watching movies at night, getting together with friends, etc. It is a nice feeling to see all the decorations up (inside and out) and the house dressed in it's festive holiday attire. Adelaide will be home on Monday. I just took a pumpkin cheesecake out of the oven to have for dinner tomorrow night. Once your sweet girls get home, you will be right in the spirit of things. Enjoy your week. Love & blessings from NC!

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  6. Well my tree is up but only because I wanted to get a head start on it. I have over 700 ornaments and it takes time. I am going to Las Vegas next Monday for 4 days so I wanted to make up for time this week. I don't think the outside lights should be turned on until next Friday. I can't say I am in the mood, the year flew by too quickly but if I don't do the work it won't get done and it won't look much like Christmas around my house. Yes I have listened to Christmas music already and it helps!

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  7. Nope, not feeling it yet either.
    Thanksgiving is here this year so as soon as it is over maybe the Christmas spirit will kick in. Let's hope.
    My sister has a huge collection of snow village also. She puts it around the base of her tree.

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  8. I just can't bring myself to bring out anything Christmas before Thanksgiving. Since we always travel to Arkansas for Thanksgiving, I usually don't start decorating until the first weekend in December. Really puts me behind, but that's just the way things are.

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  9. add me to the list of not feeling it! i even told my husband not to expect to see the tree go up the day after thanksgiving as it normally does. one of my favorite local radio stations has been playing christmas music for weeks now and i won't even listen to it. i am looking forward to thanksgiving and have set my mind on that right now. maybe after thanksgiving is over the christmas spirit will hit me.

    hope you have a terrific thanksgiving!

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  10. Canada has their Thanksgiving in Oct. So Christmas can start early here. I can't let go of how it's taboo until after the US Thanksgiving though. I could have had everything out and up for a month now. But it's not. We're missing snow too, that would help. So I guess I'm kind of like you, not feeling it yet.

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  11. I have to confess that I, too, am struggling with finding the Christmas spirit this year, too. I am praying that it's just because in my mind, it's still early October ... and that I'll feel differently once we have Thanksgiving ... hopefully it'll feel "real" that it's time for the Christmas season. Praying that it will work for you, too.

    Blessings!

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  12. I don´t start with decorations this early. For me, it´s usually Dec. 8th. Why? Because that´s a national holiday here (catholic) and we get a day off work. It´s perfect for putting up the decorations and there is still plenty of time to get into the spirit. What is it with people this year? Why is everyone starting this early??

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  13. my rule is once thanksgiving dinner is over, christmas can start :) however, i had thanksgiving here in budapest saturday and christmas jazz music is so soothing - i've let myself start listening to christmas music as of sunday. and, it still follows my rules, though stretched a bit. :)

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  14. It really is happening way too early this year. What's with that? And Christmas music started being played on one of our local radio stations about a week and a half ago. At first, I was a little excited, then I turned it off because I don't want to be sick of it by say December 3rd.

    So I'm with you, Joyce. I am not into it yet. I am preoccupied with thoughts of turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, spiced cider, family, football, and all that goes along with Thanksgiving. There are thoughts of Black Friday which is a whole other topic and Christmas cards swirling in my brain. And along with all of that there are twin boys in this home that are about to turn 9 on Christmas Eve and I've got a party to plan!

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  15. Totally playing Christmas music. Love it. :)

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  16. Well, just add me to the list of ones not in the spirit! I think I'll get there, but I want to enjoy Thanksgiving first. It usually takes me about 5 days to decorate--by the time I get it up, it will be time to take it all back down! LOL

    Joyce, I have a snow village, too--along with a carosel and skating pond. I'm just not sure I want to tackle all of those extention cords. Bah Humbug!

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  17. I do hear you. I'm still in Turkey mode myself. I realize that Christmas is right around the corner, but that's what the Christmas rush is for. I do think that little by little, Christmas is coming out earlier and earlier. I don't like it. I just don't like it, I say:) Part of the magic of Christmas is that it comes only once a year and you it only lasts so long. As it is now, many don't seem to take it down till the end of January.

    All that being said - the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas will arrive at my home in full glory. You will find your Christmas spirit. I just know you will.

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  18. I am listening to Christmas music but that's it. I've not a thing out and will not do any decorating until this week-end. I do not look forward to decorating anymore. It's more of a chore, but once it's up I love it and enjoy it.

    Blessings to you!

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  19. Every year the Christmas spirit is a little harder to come by. I don't know why and I don't like it but can't seem to figure out the solution.

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  20. I'm one of the ones who gets really irritated that Christmas starts right after Halloween anymore...our small town also had their lightpost decorations out before last week, and I could only shake my head. Where did Thanksgiving go? Just because it's not a commercialized holiday doesn't mean it should be overrun, if you ask me. But all I can do is shake my head and sigh. I'm sure the village will look beautiful once you get around to setting it up...maybe by then it will be time for the Christmas spirit to arrive.

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