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.

All for the Want of a Horseshoe Nail

I wanted to put up new cellular shades to keep out the icy drafts. The old ones were dingy and disgusting. Well, when we took down the old ones, I noticed how dirty the curtains were. So I took them all down and put them in the laundry. Once the windows were bare it was startling how dirty the glass was. So we had to wash them before we could go any further. Once the insides were sparkling, the outsides looked awful. When I went outside to wash the outsides, I had to remove the screens and hose them down. As long as I was outside with the water on, I might as well water the mums in the pots and start bringing in the garden furniture, birdbaths, and yard art. All of this before 10 am when I finally sat down with cup of stone cold coffee.

But now that it’s done. It looks great and I feel much better. My mother always did spring and fall cleaning. Now I can see why. My sister helped me and commented on how one thing always leads to another.

Sometimes when the job is overwhelming, I start with a small piece—a tiny corner that I can manage. Soon enough the house is clean, the project completed or the weeding done because one little step leads to another.

I am reminded of the rhyme of the horseshoe nail.

For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost.
For the want of a shoe, the horse was lost.
For the want of a horse, the rider was lost.
For the want of a rider, the battle was most.
For the want of the battle, the war was lost.
For the want of the war, the kingdom was lost.
All for the want of a horseshoe nail.