Year after year, I stuffed those scarecrows myself, with help from whatever child happened to be available. When the Cuters were both in college, TBG and I rented a house next to a young family. Shyly, their third grader asked if she could help. Her enthusiasm for the project outside prompted me to continue decorating inside, even if only TBG and I were there to enjoy it.
We were in transit; renting while searching the country for our forever home. Almost everything was in packing boxes; I laughed at myself when I saw that the holiday decor was in the front of the storage garage. The movers must have known that I'd need it, that it would make me happy.
And so it went, with helpers and without. Even here in Tucson, when it was only the two of us to admire it, I went all out.
And then FlapJillly came along. It was much more entertaining to watch follow a toddler through her neighborhood than it was to sit in Tucson, waiting for trick-or-treaters to ring our bell.
They never did.
Thus began what has become an annual pilgrimage to the Midwest for Halloween. This has had a serious impact on my need to fit out my environment to suit the seasons. Blithely assuming that it would make a difference, last year I divided up the decorations: Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving. This year I opened all the boxes because what I wanted could not be found where I thought it ought to be.
And through it all I repeated a new mantra. Whatever I take out, I have to put away. I was judicious in my choices. I don't have much of an emotional attachment to most of what I've been carting around for decades, back and forth across the country. I feel like I'm on the brink of a New Year's Resolution, something to do with trimming the edges of my living space.
I'll keep you posted.
I did Halloween stuff when I had small kids but never after that as it's not a big one for me. We never get treaters out here or at the Tucson home when we're there. They seem to go for sidewalks and malls these days-- neither of our places have either. Not having to put it back explains why the Christmas stuff has been reduced to almost nothing also. If nobody is coming to our house for the holiday, it's not worth it to me to put up even a tree (we're allergic to real ones and haven't wanted to buy a fake). I did though buy artificial greens to put on the fireplace mantle etc. And for fall a few fake leaves for a bouquet but it's pretty enough to keep up year round ;)
ReplyDeleteI changed out the pink and white fake flowers to the orange and yellow ones. For Christmas, I have red and green.
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Yes, whatever I take out has to be put away. Plus, whatever I put out has to have a place cleared and cleaned to put it. I'm thinking of getting rid of lots of what is in the storage unit that I have not taken out for years.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, we were separated at birth :-)
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