Holiday Fun

A Real Tree!
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I guess we have decided to enjoy the holidays, regardless of what is going on in the job market. I feel a bit better having found out one of the jobs I really wanted but hadn't heard anything on still hasn't done interviews yet. Whew.

So, we have spent a lot of time this weekend doing holiday things. Lee and Beccano and I got this lovely tree at Home Depot. They were pretty proud of themselves for getting it set up (was not an easy task). It wasn't too expensive, and smells very good. It also is quite the prolific shedder. and leans a bit to the left when looking at it straight on. But it is soft and lovely, not all prickly like the fake tree we used the last ten years. This is only the second real tree we have had since we moved to Illinois. They mulch all the trees here, so I feel OK about it. That fake tree was pretty dead at the end of last year, and we did keep it up for like 3 years, which was sorta dorky (the box broke and we could not figure out how to store it).

Today we put on ornaments and decided to get rid of some decor stuff that was in bad shape. Yay for decluttering. I didn't make the tree as thematic as I usually do, but it mostly has purple ornaments, so my quirkiness is not totally absent.

I know Lee's having fun, other than getting a horrible splinter in his finger while looking for stuff in the attic. He hasn't decorated in a long time. He even went out and got about half the redbud tree covered in lights--his first ever! We will work on finishing it tomorrow. I also decorated the mantel in the family room for the kids, and put up a few things in the media room for me and Lee. There is a rather amusing red tree with red lights that I think will be a spectacular media room tree, so we will probably get that. And that shall be it for holiday decor, other than getting out the holiday dish towels. I am not going to go as nuts over it as usual, but am doing better than I did in the couple of recent years when I felt real bad.

I missed decorating with my sister. I even miss Jeff playing the Christmas CDs while he sat upstairs not helping. I know he really liked all the decor and stuff, and this year he will be with his poor sick mother. I asked him to get her a little tree or something. I am glad I have Lee and Beccano to keep the cheer in me.

The only other big activity this weekend was church stuff. We "inaugurated" a drive to get hymnal supplements by singing a bunch of songs from it. Jan and Joe played, and Beccano joined them on bells and percussion. I sang the opening song, which was Open the Window, a Harry Belafonte song. The minister even referred to it in the sermon. I think I sounded sorta dorky, but I did a good job acting like I was having fun and loving my hymnal. I also led the audience in a hymn where they sang with the choir, and that was way fun. The song the choir did for the offering was the most dismal, even though it was a song I liked. It was fun having Beccano playing along with us.

After church it was Yule Fest time, which always reminds me of how much I miss being a more involved person in the church, and being able to be in a women's group. Women's group meant so much to me. I just can't trust people that much any more (especially in church--the hurtful things people said to me and about me still sting, no matter how hard I try to ignore it or get past it), so I am working to find other means of support. Anyway, they had some good vendors, and a highlight was Beccano picking out a wand, which ended up being an ash one with Kyanite on the end. Really a neat stone that also works sort of as an athame. There was a vendor selling interesting stone jewelry, and there were some of the loveliest pieces of fire opal I ever saw. Sigh. But, I did get each child a nice Yule gift, so that's something.

I am still feeling a bit better. I am hoping my good attitude will manifest a good job.