Monday 29 November 2010

Is it even December yet?

What day is it? Well, whatever - our tree is up. I'm not kidding.

We happen to live next to a house that is permanently decorated during the winter months. First we have a general harvest theme going on, with huge corn stalks, gourds and pumpkins around the door way. A few weeks before Halloween the ghoulish stuff comes out, complete with life size, cackling witch. And it's not just your run-of-the-mill house decorations either; although my neighbour does it all herself, the whole effect is worthy of a Broadway production or Macy's windows at least.

This weekend, her tree came out and we went over to help put the decorations on. Big mistake, as the Quuenager and the Little Guy were consequently all pumped up and 'Tis the Season-y. Naturally the conversation turned to when our tree would be brought out. I said next weekend (Let's wait until December at least people), but no, their social calendars are so packed next weekend that there's barely time for the winter ritual of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on the top.

The Queenager then calculated that if we didn't do it today, (Monday NOVEMBER 29th) there would be no opportunity the rest of the week because the Ball & Chain is out of town. Not that he lives for Xmas tree decorating but he does come in rather useful for lugging things down from the garage attic.

Readers in the UK will now be aghast at the thought of a tree going up before mid-December but there's another sling to the Queenager's bow of arguments in favour of. We go to Colorado for two weeks over the actual Christmas period, so she won't be able to enjoy the tree if we leave it too late. Bless.

So that was how the tree went up last night. First the Ball & Chain got all the boxes out; then, because we have an artificial (re-useable) tree which takes several millenia to assemble, he thought it better to do that while he had the energy. And bob's your uncle - there was a ten foot tall, nude Xmas tree just begging to be decked. So deck it we did.

I am now surrounded by other boxes of Xmas ornaments (I went rather mad in the January sales it would appear), but I'm going to put them up very slowly so that it all doesn't look too keen. I mean, it's not even December for Pete's sake.

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16 comments:

  1. woooo hooooo! My Chicago office is all decked the week beginning mid-November (now THAT is early; so early that I winced when I walked in. All thanks to one of the partners who loves to decorate. She's probably your neighbor's cousin...), and I am now in a client's office in KC and it is all bright red and festive. So, "congratulations" on having the tree up, -- you're definitely not too early. :o)

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  2. I have to admit I love Christmas decorations. I'll be putting ours up this coming weekend. Unfortunately, we can't put anything on the house because the weather gets so bad up here (we live on top of a very windy hill) that everythings gets ruined!

    CJ xx

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  3. You know that on the inside you are jumping for joy!

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  4. Let me be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

    Christmas decorations were up in my office building two weeks before Thanksgiving. You're running late.

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  5. Under the circumstances I think you were quite right to get them up early: picking a time when husbands can do the fetching and carrying is most important!

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  6. CJ - I have two very heavy small Xmas looking trees at the front door. If they blow away we'll be in big trouble!
    Meryy Xmas all - I am getting a bit fatigued at the moment as we have four large boxes of decs out and I can't remember where I put any of them last year. It's like unpacking when you move!
    Plus - the dog is following me round, which is getting dangerous!

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  7. I haven't put any decorations up yet but there are several houses in our street that are fully Christmassed-up. I have, however, spent the morning wrapping presents for the UK cousins and creating the 'personlised' Christmas cards online! I do think this is the earliest I've ever started the Christmas preparations, though.

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  8. Mine is going up tonight when I get home from work. Our neighbours have had theirs up, plus lights and decorations outside since beginning November. Ridiculous.
    Christmas is moving ever further up the calendar.
    ;-)

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  9. the tradition in our house is that they go up after other half's birthday ( 2nd Dec)

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  10. The wreath goes up after Thanksgiving and as I work on a Christmas Tree farm selling trees, making and decorating wreaths and selling decs, our tree doesn't usually go up for another couple of weeks so I don't get 'tree burn out' too early.
    I become deaf to carols as they are on repeat all day long but I do make up a cd of all my favourites and play them in the car to and from work.
    This past weekend I sold several large 15 foot plus trees to people already!
    Go for it and water often!!!
    Happy holidays

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  11. Crazy! But why not? If they enjoy it. I have already said they can put their little tree up in the kitchen the 7th of december - the day after Sinterklaas comes. So really we'll be just as bad. Falalalalaaa!

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  12. Oh no....... you must be joking! Not in November!
    Hope they don't get all dusty being out so long!
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  13. Ummm... I am sort of feeling Christmasy today as it's the first day it's snowing, but have no plans to put up the tree until it's double digits in December...

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  14. I just love Christmas so I'm itching to do ours. The decs came out of the loft last night (because we needed daughter's wooden advent calendar) and I'm surrepticiously hanging things up without anyone noticing............

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  15. I'm trying to con Mother Hen into coming 'round and decorating my house so I can sip mulled wine and relax. don't think she's falling for it....darn.

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