This past weekend I started to do a bit of Christmas decorating. For me this is very early, but I have various commitments over the next few weekends and I wanted to not feel rushed latter. Plus I love the garland on the stairwell. For the past three years Emily has put it up as I wasn’t home to do it … so it was exciting to put it all together.
This year I did something a bit different. I draped the garland back along the bass of the railing rather than down the hand rail to the basement. It’s so wonderful to see the lights on in the evening and morning.
Here’s a close-up of the garland. About five years ago I bought all the pieces (garland, gold pearls, ribbon) at Canadian Tire. Click here to see six more photos of the stairwell.
Beautiful!
Looks great! As a Christmas gift to my mom (who is in a retirement home) I’ve decorated her room for Christmas for the past three years. Last Saturday it was raining here…a miserable November day. What a pick-me-upper to decorate for Christmas! Her room looks great, if I say so myself! Why some of the other residents/nursing staff think I should hire myself out!! Some of our outdoor lights are up here at home, and some indoor decorations too. I love Christmas decorations … and it is much better to have them up a month before Christmas than several weeks afterwards.
Your decorating is such a wonderful idea. Plus your Mom doesn’t have to worry about storing any of the items. And I bet each year is a little bit different.
Kristin always speaks the truth – at least as far as she goes. Her other motivation for doing this early was her desire for a pre-emptive strike on Emily’s Christmas decorating. While Kristin has always appreciated Emily’s efforts, Emily has a habit of doing things her own way. The garland and lights on the stairwell always looks good however, there is more than one way to actually place it and attach it. I know I am heading into dangerous waters here, but it has been my observation that women generally feel there is ONLY one way to do something – their way! Mothers and daughters don’t always see eye to eye on such matters as Christmas decorating techniques.
“Dangerous waters”… doesn’t come close, Doug! Surely you know better than to make such a comment!! Forget the poor Doug comments, at least for a little while. Glad to see you appear to be wise enough to stay out of the women’s way during decorating. And just to clarify … I, like Kristin, do the decorating around here (and so many other jobs as well!!!!) because that way it will indeed BE DONE RIGHT!
Well, I do a lot of the decorating in our house. Liz helps but I get the right to choose what goes where.
John – I hate to be the one to set you straight after so many years of being married … but Liz just lets you think you’ve made a choice … it’s how it works …and I know Liz appreciates that you are tall and can reach way up.
Thank you Mary for undestanding and trying to get the men around this blog to understand reality.
I have nothing to say to Douglas. (Note: I used “Douglas” … he’s in trouble!)
Another myth shattered! Women don’t really want to do things “by consensus” – they just want to be in control.
Doug: Amen, brother!!
DOUGLAS!!!!!!
Well said Mary!
I thought that Doug described the situation very well. Girls, you must admit that he was right!!!!
Or so both you, and Doug, think!!!
You are baiting me Mary! When John and I make the odd comment now and then, Kristin and Mary tend to “think” this is a hockey game. At the end of the posts Mary and Kristin (and sometimes Jen) will count the comments and determine they have made many more, hence they have won again and stomped their opposition into submission. Who says women aren’t hyper-competitive?
Doug, don’t bring me into the fray! I much prefer the role of peacemaker (less likely to end up getting hit with a rotten tomato that way!)….
Doug – Mary & I don’t make more comments … we make insightful comments.
Kristin: Don’t you mean blind sided comments?
Now I thought Mary was the “word-smith” … John you are giving her a run for the money with your crafty word-use!
Ahhh…but POOR MARY gets the
FINAL say on this … Poor Mary, Poor Kristin … and DOUGLAS, no more sympathy for you. Nor you, John! I’m counting on Liz and Kristin to set you two straight!!!
Of course, Jen is the wise one in all of this by staying out of the fray….
Mary – You used a bit of a “slip” when you used the word “counting.” Doug wasn’t right was he??
Although difficult to admit, yea, he was right. I just hope he doesn’t read this LAST comment or it’ll go to his head! John’s too, I’m afraid. Poor women …
Finally!! the men’s side gets credit. This is said with great humility!!!!