Packing away Christmas

Fio has started deconstructing her Christmas decorations--throwing away the lovely cards, the carefully cut paper snowflakes, the red ribbon bows around the necks of everything ribbonable. Packing away the multiple swags of artificial greenery heavily loaded with her extensive ornament collection--the fruits and vegetables, eggs, elephants, birds, little houses, nativity scenes, boat,school bus, and more. The huge, carefully constructed tree so embellished that one can hardly see the branches. The figurines of creches and angels and carolers. The red cardboard bells she cut out years ago and still uses. The multiple wreaths. The snowflakes she and Husband always hang from the tree next to the porch. The growing herd of lighted deer she stakes out in the curve next to the driveway.

She packs it all away into clear vinyl boxes and stores it in the garage until next Decemeber, when she will empty each box and compose new and different displays.

Sort of like those magnificent ice palaces the Norwegians build year after year, then mourn as they melt into oblivion.