At noontime the carpenter found a box on the porch when he was leaving. It was from my brother. I thought he’d sent presents. But nope!
A couple years ago I mentioned how I can’t grow holly here. He has huge lovely bushes on his farm. And some days later a box arrived, stuffed full of holly. Each year since then he’s sent one.
I’d left out the ribbons that I use for the swags but it took a while to find them. I had enough for 4 big ones and a small one.
I put my favorite one on the beam in my office.
I hung one on the front door.
I hadn’t finished until late afternoon and the sun out of the southwest was coming through the window.
I hung my second favorite here in the kitchen where I can see it a lot.
I put the last big one in the living room and hung the small one in the entry.
Over the last few days the Christmas tree has been extremely unhappy about being near the masonry heater. Its branches can’t support the ornaments and bubble lights anymore and the bubble lights are mostly upside down.
So I’ve decided to take it down as I don’t think it will be safe anymore. It won’t take quite as long to do, as I’m not wrapping/unwrapping ornaments or putting them on hooks. I plan to hang them all from the edges of boxes.
Two of the light strings need to be replaced and I’d ordered new lights for next year and they had arrived. Once it’s cleaned off, I will get the carpenter’s helper to take it outside and bring the box with the artificial tree down from the attic.
Then I have to finish fluffing the new tree (only half done in July) and redecorate. I hope to have it done by Saturday night. My surrogate grandchild is coming for supper and then we are going to look at the luminaria here in town.
So my work is cut out for me for the next few days.