Ground Out

Fiorella was quite pleased that she was able to stake her four Christmas deer into the ground firmly this year--you know the kind, twenty bucks (heh heh) apiece at HEB. But apparently their time had come and gone--only two of them would light up, the front end of the stag and the rear end of a doe. And the doe was the only one who would work.

It figures. She's a woman.

Christmas Blues

Fiorella has always done Christmas up grand decorating-wise. Not a wall, window, door, fireplace, mantel, or table was safe from her. But this year she's lagging a little. Who is there to enjoy and appreciate her creations?

After all, Fiorella, Husband, Older Son and his wife, and Daughter will be celebrating an early Christmas while in California to attend Younger Son's college graduation. And if she gave a party when she and Husband got home, no one would come because she lives too far out.

Maybe next year.

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.

O Tree of Green Unchanging

Fiorella had promised Husband that this year we'd discard our old fake Christmas tree and get a real one. So we looked around a little.

But the real trees seemed puny in contrast to our steel-armed fake one, they were quite expensive for one time use, and Husband was nervous about transporting one of them home on the top of his shiny new car. Besides which, there's be all that business of straightening the tree in the holder and keeping the water bowl full.

Yesterday evening, Fio started reconstructing Old Faithful.

Planting Deer and Other Tails

Fiorella had a wonderful time yesterday planting deer.

Yes, she is putting up Christmas decorations, and yesterday she tackled the outside stuff--the deer, the small fake tree on the front porch, and the snowflakes in the real tree out front.

The stag was the hardest one to deal with, of course--you know how men are. Finally Fio commanDEERed a sharp stick, malleted it into the ground, and attached his leg to it. Stability at last. The two does were more amenable, although both had mental problems--one had lost her head and had to be reconnected, and the other had developed a bobble in her head when she moved it up and down to graze.

The lights on the fake tree had gone out so Husband drove off to Walgreen's for a small supplementary string. He also picked up more silver garlands. Fio drapes them from branch to branch along the driveway, to make visitors feel more welcome.

The snowflakes were the most fulfilling. Husband and Fio worked together. He went up the ladder and she disentangled each glittering flake and handed it to him. Then she went up the ladder and tied a big red velvet bow around a branch above a patch of mistletoe. Then he kissed her.

Fio likes Christmas.