DeChristmasing and why it sucks!

I love Christmas. I don't get ready too early. No lights right after Halloween. No tree until well into December. Therefore, I feel no great rush to take it all down! Plus I hate, hate, hate taking it all down!

I always use, Orthodox Christmas, aka, The Epiphany as my excuse. It's January 6th. BUT... the Orthodox religions use the Julian calender, if you use the Gregorian Calender, (which I'd like to point out, we do,) that falls on January 19! ha! This argument, fails when Bob is determined that Christmas is over. After January 6th, he starts hinting. Lucky for me, he went back to work on the afternoon shift and I won't see him until Saturday.

There may be the odd note, with a gentle hint left on the kitchen counter between then and now but obviously those can be accidentally lost when one unknowingly places a sticky pot down over the note and it ends up in the sink when washing the dishes and sadly becomes illegible.

I would like to point out that this evening I did remove the remaining presents from under the tree and put them away. I tried to set up the new coffee maker, but it doesn't work! The chocolate bowl on the coffee table runneth over from the stocking contents and a can of cashews was discovered! Oh and 3 Tim Hortons cards and a heavy duty extension cord! Progress has been made.

A few years ago I was really, really NOT in the deChristmasing mood. The notes got more forceful, the shift changed, Bob was home when I was. The "hints" became verbal, it was quite annoying! I suggested hanging hearts for Valentine's Day, Clovers for St. Patty's Day... (my personal favourite!) Eggs at Easter; you get the idea. He didn't go for it.

Bob went out somewhere and I had a genius idea. We had a back room, we didn't use, with french doors with eyelet lace curtains. We have all hardwood floors. What does this have to do with deChristmasing? It should be obvious. I had an epiphany. I moved the furniture, grabbed the trunk (steel pole,) in two places, slid the whole tree into the back room and closed the doors!

Bob came home and said "hey the tree's gone." I said, "yes it is." There was no lie involved. He didn't say, "hey you took the tree down." A week or so later I hear him calling me and where is he? In the back room! He had NO business being in there. It was an empty room! He accused me of fibbing, I clearly pointed out the words that were actually exchanged. He said I knew what he meant, I said that he should have been more clear! ha! I took down the tree.

I'm sure you've gathered by now that mine is still up right? Don't tell Bob, maybe he won't notice!