From Santa.
That hat, by the way, is the classic Deerstalker worn by Sherlock Holmes.
I think Santa gets my reading preferences.
Santa also brought me some Carmex, some actual photos made from digital pics of our trip to Paris, some pencils, and some sugar-free chocolates from a local chocolate shop. And some books, a notebook, scented soap and bubble bath.
We were so tired yesterday. And today! I seem to be in a waking up early mode lately, so I never feel like I get enough sleep. Ah well.
It’s a gray and drizzly day out there. I’m glad we’re keeping the tree up for a few more days. I never take it down right after Christmas. I’ve only done that once in my life and it was because both Don and I were leaving for out of town jobs. I wasn’t raised that way, which I suspect informs a lot of our holiday choices. We always kept the tree up through New Year’s Day. And many people keep it up through Epiphany – thereby honoring the 12 days of Christmas. Everyone is different of course, but personally, I would have found it impossible to be here the day after Christmas and have no reminders of the season or the reason we celebrate. We’ve had the tree since December 1st, so I suspect we’ll have to take it down on Monday. But I’ve found that if the tree is healthy and you water it every day, it will last at least a month.
I did remove the decorations from the dollhouses, but that’s it so far. I still love coming downstairs in the morning and turning the tree lights on. It’s enormously comforting. The porch lights stay on for at least another month. We live in the country and it’s lovely to see Christmas lights glowing through January, especially with it getting dark so early.
Reader Kathy sent a box of goodies and it included this Italian version of To Kill a Mockingbird. Isn’t it a beautiful cover design? Thank you, Kathy!
Today we grocery shop. And I’m off to find a copy of Jane Eyre, which, surprisingly, I don’t have on my shelves. I’m coaching a version of it later in the month and I want to reread it before I do my research on Yorkshire dialects, etc.
Happy Friday.
Hi Claudia,
It sounds as if Santa is very smart!
I actually keep my decorations up until the end of January. I do so because I have a Santa Claus collection and really there is a fair amount of money invested in them and so I keep them out to enjoy and to make sure too that I am fully using my possessions and the money spent.
Also, with all the colour, I have to work up to the let down when all of the colour is put away. 🎅
Happy new year to both of you!
Cindi
I don’t blame you! You should be able to look at that collection for as long as you want.
Thanks, Cindi!
Claudia, we don’t have a tree since my current three kitties aren’t compatible with a decorated tree (one would try to climb it, one would swat all the ornaments off, and one would try to eat it). When we did have a tree, it stayed up until Martin Luther King weekend. The outside lights also stay up until then. We have my daughter’s nutcracker collection and tiny ornaments hanging off the chandelier and cabinet knobs all over the house year round.
I gifted my daughter a copy of Jane Eyre! She “discovered” the movies a couple of years ago and went about looking for used DVDs of every version. We do that with Pride and Prejudice, and Little Women, too. Saw Little Women on Christmas Day and despite our local movie reviewer writing how confusing the movie was (I won’t spoil why), I found it a refreshing way to retell the story and I absolutely loved it.
I just started Jane Eyre last night, Wendy. I’m enjoying it so far.
I enjoy the house at night with just the tree lights and the lights from my hutch glowing – my family traditions were always to leave the decor and tree, all of it, up until Epiphany and then my mom would take it all down. As many years Epiphany falls on a weekday, when I am working, I take mine all down on the 1st weekend after Epiphany. But I run the lights, etc right through Jan 6th, but no later than that. I finally have gotten my decor weeded down to several hours (no more than 4, including all the unwrapping and putting up my tree, which is 4 1/2 foot table top tree ) though take down seems to go a bit faster as I tend to ponder where I want something placed on my hutch, lol.
Taking it down is always faster – I’m usually surprised how quickly it goes, Dawn.
I don’t understand people who take everything down on Dec. 26, unless there is some significant reason for doing so. It is still the Christmas season. Advent is BEFORE Christmas and then the Christmas celebration begins!! Actually, it took the Wise Men many many months to get to their destination. So, I like when people slow down and actually enjoy! Life is way too short to continually be rushing through it! Probably more so as we get older.
What a lovely gift from Kathy! You do have the nicest followers!! ♡
Too many people start Christmas right after Thanksgiving, giving no breathing space to two different holidays. And then they get tired of it and take everything down. I don’t understand it, either. Somewhere in there, it becomes about decorations and not about Christmas.
Maybe you could have a look on Feedbooks.com Public Domain or Manybooks.net for the Brontë books. Many books are free to download.
It also saves a trip to the library.
Thanks Dorien. I have an eReader and I just don’t like reading from it. I do, occasionally, but I’d much rather hold a book in my hands!
Hopefully everyone has had a lovely Christmas! I usually keep my artificial tree and decorations up until Twelfth Night.
Am sure tha durs’nt, but let mi know if tha needs elp wi noth’en accents, Lass!
Appy Freedi😀
Dee Dee x
Thanks, Dee Dee. I’ve coached those accents before but it’s been a while. I’m sure it will all come back to me!
Santa was good to you. Jane Eyre was such a great read. We take the tree down after New Years Day. It is dreary out today,but at least there is no snow. The temperatures are going to be in the 40’s next week.
Marilyn
I’m very happy that we have no snow, Marilyn! 45 degrees for today!
cute duckie with a good taste in books and hats. :)
my family and i usually put up Christmas decorations by the second week of december and take them down on or by new year’s day. i do love to see outdoor lights, too. :)
trust you will find a copy of “jane eyre”.
is the coaching job in nyc?
hope you have a good weekend ahead!
kathy in iowa
ps: glad the package arrived. :)
The coaching job is at Hartford Stage – it’s being directed by the Associate Artistic Director, who Darko hired. I’ve worked with her before. Thanks again for the lovely gifts, Kathy!
oh, good!
you are welcome. hope you enjoy them.
kathy in iowa
I do! And so does Don! xoxo
I’m still enjoying our tree…I think we’ll keep it up ‘til at least the 1st. There’s certainly no rush around here. Outside lights are different. The weather usually dictates when they go up and come down. But I’d like to keep ours up til the 1st, too, if at all possible.
Great gift from Kathy! How many different versions of TKM do you have now? ;)
Our outside lights are hung from post to post on the porch, so weather doesn’t matter. I can just take them down myself, thank goodness!
I’m not sure how many versions I have – maybe 6?
Some years I have taken my tree down on Christmas Day or even on Christmas Eve when I am tired of battling the cats over it! LOL. I prefer to leave it up until New Year’s day because I too love the lights in the evenings and early mornings. Family traditions are getting the trees, dates of setting up and taking down are so interesting. I appreciate those who keep their outside lights on into January on the dark winter nights. Enjoy some restful days as the year winds down.
Out here where we live it gets SO dark! So I think having the lights up is a good thing, both for us and for travelers. Thanks, Nora!
Your rubber ducky made me giggle. Good job, Santa! And another language for another Mockingbird—great gift, Kathy!
Leave that pretty tree up for as long as it makes you happy. I know, I’m leaving mine until the New Year, then we’ll see when the urge to purge it hits.
I think it may come down on Monday or Tuesday. But we’re staying flexible, Shanna.
Claudia, it sounds like a fabulous Christmas and a perfect day after. My trees will stay up longer too — till Epiphany (at least) though I’ll start taking down the decorations sooner. It’s so hard to say goodbye to them. But I do love those lights!
I started taking down some of the little decorations scattered here and there. But the tree is still up! Thanks, Jeanie!