My dad always cut our tree from our land. I have tons of trees on my land up north that would make good Christmas trees but it's a two-mile hike in the snow during the winter, each way. If I ever feel rich enough to get a snowmobile, maybe. Meanwhile, we buy a real one some years and use the fake one that we have in our attic on others. It's not like we have any kids coming for Christmas or anything. Usually, there is just us; sometimes our neighbor joins us for dinner because his wife died a few years back. Sometimes he drives to his son's house but when the weather is bad, he's there alone.
I can't imagine spending Christmas alone! "For the first time, Violet, 85, will be alone at Christmas after her last two friends and immediate family died last year. She is one of the estimated 3400,000 people who will spend the festive period alone, latest stats from Age UK show. "If no one invites me, I will watch the television", she said."
The Silver Line: Christmas Alone "Big Christmas plans? For most of us, the family get-together is edging near and we've already got that gingerbread feeling. But that's not the case for 1 million older people in the UK. So we teamed up with The Silver Line to share an all too common issue..."
I brought the Christmas records down from the attic on Thanksgiving day and played a few. We hope to start decorating tomorrow. This song of Bing's is a Christmas favorite of mine! ....might even bring the tree down and set it up.
I don't know why but I'm not that interested in decorating the inside of our cottage for the Christmas Holidays anymore. I still like my Honey to hang the Christmas lights around the porch area along with the garland on the porch rails and the wreath on our door but about the only thing I care about putting on display inside is my Nativity set. I still like to bake my Christmas sweets for friends and neighbors and listen to our Christmas music...but decorating inside just isn't my thing anymore. I don't know if this has something to do with aging or just the fact that now that I'm not raising kids at home anymore I just don't feel the need to decorate inside anymore. I still like buying Christmas gifts for my family and wrapping them with my Honey while we listen to our Christmas music. And I enjoy watching Christmas movies. I do enjoy seeing my daughter's homes all decorated but it isn't something I'm interested in doing inside our home anymore except for the Nativity and a Christmas candle set that goes on our dining table. Is it just me....or are some of you finding as the years go by all that decorating we used to do just doesn't seem very important anymore?
For me, the Christmas decorations go up much easier than they come down. I still put out a small 1970's ceramic tree, a nativity scene, a very few little tabletop ornaments that have sentimental meaning to me and an inexpensive live poinsettia from the grocery store. This weekend I'm boxing up some Christmas ornaments and Christmas themed dishes to take to the local charity shop on Monday morning. No sense hiding them in the closet or under the bed when someone else could enjoy them. I suppose we reach a point where our Christmas memories and Christmas fellowship become more important than Christmas stuff.
It has been more of an effort to get an early start in decorating this year. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I hung the wreaths in the windows and decorated the doors. I also got our 7 1/2 ft artificial, pre-lit tree put up. We plan to forgo putting up the yard & platform and bought a green and red skirt to put under the tree. Maybe I will put the glass ornaments on the tree, after supper, and if I have time hang the "soft" ornaments. Last year we bought three strings of white, outdoor lights that are solar powered and had them on the three posts on the front porch. The weather has been rainy, cold with snow, and so far has delayed this part of decorating. This year, I plan to decorate a small pine tree in the front, with the three strings, along with three red & white bamboo-strung jump ropes as garland. All I want for Christmas is my momentum!
How sad to be alone at Christmas. Well, anytime, really, but at Christmas especially. I know people who would be alone. I invite them to be with me and my family.
For me I think this is exactly what has happened...I'm more into the Spirit of Christmas now instead of the decor. Yet I love to see the beautiful decor still....as long as it's in others homes, etc.