There’s no easing out of Thanksgiving these days. As John and I walk the dogs in the misty, chilly, day-after-Thanksgiving afternoon, I’m impressed to see so many houses on our street already decorated for Christmas. Tree lights flicker in windows. Garland adorns porch railings, and festive red plaid pillows perch in porch swings. I wonder where my neighbor found those cute red pillows, and I wonder where she stores them during non-Christmastime because storing extra pillows takes a lot of space, but mostly I wonder when she found the time to decorate.
Why isn’t everyone piled on the couch watching football?
I can’t go from Thanksgiving to Christmas in a snap. I have to wait a few days and sit with the memories of it all. I realize I’m in the minority, but I can’t move on to Christmas until Thanksgiving settles, else I’ll drown in the over-exuberance of it. Remember as a kid how we weren’t allowed to swim until our lunch settled? Turns out we wouldn’t have really drowned, but we might have gotten a cramp or something. Same thing applies in this situation. I have to let Thanksgiving settle.
And theres a lot of food that needs settling.
Leftovers must now be morphed into other dishes and wedged into the back of the freezer to be enjoyed later on a cold winter night. Later, when I’ll be glad for leftovers.
The house is quiet.
Everyone has returned to the places they call home—Plano, Austin, Denver. We had a wonderful few days together, and I’m reminded again of how blessed I am.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll put away my turkey decorations and toss the pumpkins to the compost.
Maybe tomorrow I’ll replace my fall wreath with something Christmas-y.
Probably tomorrow.
But today I’m still hanging out with Thanksgiving and November and the memories of it all.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]I prefer to ease out of Thanksgiving and into Christmas. #Christmasiscoming [/tweetthis]
Musical Pairing:
Avett Brothers, November Blue
I’m totally with you. I am not ready to move on quite yet.
🙂 We agree on so many things.
I’m also with you! NOT until December 1 do I begin to haul out mugs and haul down decorations. Great post. Mine will come out Thursday unless I can’t wait. xoxo
Glad to know there are other kindred spirits out there. Thanks, Pat!
Great post. I, too, have to wait awhile before I can move on to Christmas. Maybe you get this from me. I would never put up our Christmas tree unti December 15th. I don’t know how I settled on that date.
Well, you had lots of hard and fast rules about Christmas. Some were in place merely to torture us.
I feel the same way. Although, I did take down my fall wreath and move my pilgrims back into the closet yesterday, I have to have Thanksgiving and savor its meaning before I decorate for Christmas. It’s just not right to skim over such an important day. I just brought out my first box of Christmas decorations. But, yes, Thanksgiving first, please!
I still haven’t done anything. But I’m thinking about it so I guess that’s something:)
BACK, Christmas! BACK! Stay in your own month!
I’m totally totally with you. When I saw Christmas stuff in CVS on Labor Day, a part of me died.
Funny!
I so agree with you! We are all in such a hurry to go on and then we stop and say, where did the time go? Let’s slow down and enjoy this peaceful , free, blessed life that we have!
I agree! Thanks Nikki!
I have a hard rule about decorating for Christmas. It has to be After Thanksgiving! Same goes for Christmas music– not allowed until Thanksgiving has been celebrated.