Sweet Bal(sa)m Arrives
Since I've not good justification for not having written since my return, I'll offer none. The truth is simply that I'm busy. My presence at work was missed, critical deadlines are dancing tarantellas through our office space, and although we are not an academic department there is still a bleed-over of end-of-semester chaos.
The good news is that the campus will be empty enough this week that I'll probably take a dog to work each day. T, for certain. G, perhaps (he's more likely to bark when I step out of my office). It will be cozy! I miss my puppy lumps during the day.
The title of this post refers to the eight-foot balsam fir now occupying a corner of the living room. There is a Christmas tree farm less than a quarter of a mile from our house and when I took the long trip to Berlin, I promised myself that whatever mileage reimbursement dollars exceeded my actual fuel expenditure would be applied to the purchase of a balsam fir. They do such nice double duty! If you get them fresh enough, they'll last in the stand through to February. And, if you collect the needles, you can use them in pillows and sachets -- excellent medicinally for lung ailments, yummy to smell in any context.
I'm so happy! I've not had a tree since the last one my Christmas-averse ex- and I had.* (A crap parking lot affair that shed needles faster than Charlie Brown's tree, it was not a highlight of my lifetime Christmas tree experience.) I spent the last several Christmases not at home and didn't see the point of installing a tree I wouldn't be there to tend or enjoy. But now? Hooray!!!
For all of our struggles, my family did (and does) Christmas really well in terms of sensory input. Doc has been Christmas-averse for years (due to her ex's habit of leaving just before Christmas, on a regular basis). When we met she said she wasn't into Christmas, had gotten rid of all of her decorations, etc. I said, "That's ok, so long as you know that I don't share your feelings about that particular season and plan to bring greenery into the house and to decorate." She agreed. Then, when I mentioned what the folks said about how long this tree would last, she said, "But surely you don't leave it up past a day, or two, after Christmas!"
"I most certainly do, and stop calling me Shirley -- she's one of your other wives."
"But that's so weird. The holiday's past."
"It certainly is, particularly when you figure that Christmas trees have nothing to do with Christmas."
"Oh."
"Right"
"So it's going to be with us a while."
"Yep."
"Cool."
Later...
"I told my mom about the tree. She said it's about time. That she was ready to kick my butt if I didn't get back to having some holiday spirit."
"Didja tell her I kind of already did?"
"No. She could tell."
"Perfect."
"Yep."
Meanwhile, my mom, fearing I'd be treeless, told me that a huge package from Crate & Barrel is imminent. 4-foot artificial tree and scads of ornaments. She feared it wouldn't be meaningful, since I got a tree. I got all teary because it was such a lovely thing to do. I said, "Are you kidding? It means that I get to have a tree in the bedroom, too! I just got finished telling Doc that when our money situation is better I want at least three trees in the house every year!"
I've got lots of other stuff to share, but I'm too sleepy to do so tonight.
Jingle, jingle!
~Dot
*What is it with me and mates who have Christmas baggage? Thinking back, there's only been one past relationship that included a mutual sense of fun at that time of year. Oh, the humanity!
The good news is that the campus will be empty enough this week that I'll probably take a dog to work each day. T, for certain. G, perhaps (he's more likely to bark when I step out of my office). It will be cozy! I miss my puppy lumps during the day.
The title of this post refers to the eight-foot balsam fir now occupying a corner of the living room. There is a Christmas tree farm less than a quarter of a mile from our house and when I took the long trip to Berlin, I promised myself that whatever mileage reimbursement dollars exceeded my actual fuel expenditure would be applied to the purchase of a balsam fir. They do such nice double duty! If you get them fresh enough, they'll last in the stand through to February. And, if you collect the needles, you can use them in pillows and sachets -- excellent medicinally for lung ailments, yummy to smell in any context.
I'm so happy! I've not had a tree since the last one my Christmas-averse ex- and I had.* (A crap parking lot affair that shed needles faster than Charlie Brown's tree, it was not a highlight of my lifetime Christmas tree experience.) I spent the last several Christmases not at home and didn't see the point of installing a tree I wouldn't be there to tend or enjoy. But now? Hooray!!!
For all of our struggles, my family did (and does) Christmas really well in terms of sensory input. Doc has been Christmas-averse for years (due to her ex's habit of leaving just before Christmas, on a regular basis). When we met she said she wasn't into Christmas, had gotten rid of all of her decorations, etc. I said, "That's ok, so long as you know that I don't share your feelings about that particular season and plan to bring greenery into the house and to decorate." She agreed. Then, when I mentioned what the folks said about how long this tree would last, she said, "But surely you don't leave it up past a day, or two, after Christmas!"
"I most certainly do, and stop calling me Shirley -- she's one of your other wives."
"But that's so weird. The holiday's past."
"It certainly is, particularly when you figure that Christmas trees have nothing to do with Christmas."
"Oh."
"Right"
"So it's going to be with us a while."
"Yep."
"Cool."
Later...
"I told my mom about the tree. She said it's about time. That she was ready to kick my butt if I didn't get back to having some holiday spirit."
"Didja tell her I kind of already did?"
"No. She could tell."
"Perfect."
"Yep."
Meanwhile, my mom, fearing I'd be treeless, told me that a huge package from Crate & Barrel is imminent. 4-foot artificial tree and scads of ornaments. She feared it wouldn't be meaningful, since I got a tree. I got all teary because it was such a lovely thing to do. I said, "Are you kidding? It means that I get to have a tree in the bedroom, too! I just got finished telling Doc that when our money situation is better I want at least three trees in the house every year!"
I've got lots of other stuff to share, but I'm too sleepy to do so tonight.
Jingle, jingle!
~Dot
*What is it with me and mates who have Christmas baggage? Thinking back, there's only been one past relationship that included a mutual sense of fun at that time of year. Oh, the humanity!