Christmas Aerobics

Clump, clump, clump down the stairs to the basement to gather the empty bags and boxes for the nativity scene.

Clump, clump, clump up the stairs to the living room to wrap the kings, shepard, donkey, ox and the entire flock of sheep and put them away for another year. The holy family gets its own little box. I had a pang when I stuffed in the Baby Jesus.

Clump, clump, clump back down the stairs carrying the bag full of nativity boxes in one hand and the hefty manger in the other. Whew. I gathered up the empty black trash bags for all of the garland.

Clump, clump, clump up the stairs to the foyer. I had previously staged most of the decorations in a gigantic pile on the sofa in the living room. I stuffed all the inside garland into one bag and the outside garland into another. Huh, what was the 3rd empty bag for? I tossed the bags of garland down the basement stairs only to discover that I had to go down anyway to gather yet more boxes and bags for the wreaths.

Clump, clump, clump down the stairs. My, I am starting to get a little winded.

After much to-ing and fro-ing or maybe up-ing and down-ing. The first floor was devoid of any hint of the holiday. I went from room to room to check. Ah, but remember the tree was on the second floor in the library.

Puff, puff, puff, back up the stairs. I had taken off most of the ornaments but I never taken take down the tree or put things away until after Epiphany (a hang over from my childhood, I guess.) I took off the lights and pulled apart the tree. Ah, the ease of the fake tree.

Clump, clump, clump down 2 flights of stairs now with the sections of the tree and tree stand. (whose idea was it to put the tree on the 2nd floor, anyway!) In the basement, I pulled out all of the Christmas tubs and riffled through them. Hmmm, there seemed to be one missing.

Clump, clump, clump up two flights of stairs, I discovered that I was smart enough to leave the winter ornament tub in the library closet. I wrapped the breakable ornaments, re-boxed the crocheted snowflakes and tottered down the 2 flights of stairs one un-seen step at a time with the heavy tub.

Finally a little duct tape on the plastic tree skirt bag, several more flights of stairs and DONE for another year!

I need a cool down and stretch after all that work. sigh. I guess I’ll vacuum.

Want to be my neighbor?

“Timmmm Berrrrrrr!”

I always wanted to say that.

But it is generally more of a “Look Ouuuuuut!”

My family drove from the flat land to pick up some things from here than need to go there. (Remember the lawn mower?) While they were here, they helped me take down some trees-dead, skinny, too-close to the house, kinds of trees. I say they helped me, when all I did was point out the trees to go, try to stay out of the way, carry the logs to the woodpile and move branches. Dave even split the wood. We ended up taking down 10 trees and you cannot tell.

They left today for the 10-hour drive back to the flatland. As I tidied the house, I fell to thinking about what a tremendous help it was having them here. How I do not have very many people close by that I can rely on in a pinch. I do not know anyone that would come and spend the whole day taking down trees. It is hard dirty work. Having help is better than any kind of material gift. I am so thankful.

Being part of a community whether family, friends, congregation, or club is something that I think we are missing these days. I, for one, live far from friends and family. But many people speak of the lack of community, even the yearning for it. We are all working, commuting, stretched too thin. How did we lose our sense of community? How do we get it back?

I have tried to develop a community with the neighbors on the street. It is working on a small scale. It is not just about throwing dinner parties once in a while or borrowing an egg; but about helping each other out. It is about comfort, trust, and caring. But it also about asking for the help. This is something I am not good at. I am trying to get better.