There comes a moment in January when, if you decorate for Christmas, you can’t stand another minute of looking at Christmas Fa Fa.  A wonderful term that my summer sister got from somewhere and has used for years, it represents all that is glittery, red, green, snowflaked, cute, etc.  You get the picture, your house looked like this too.  I’m not an over the top Christmas decorator, in fact I think my home has that Christmas feel about it all year, but at that moment in January it must all come down.

For me it’s all about the packing.  Yes, the entire world laughs at my organizational skills but there is something to packing Christmas up in such a way that it’s like opening presents the next year when you start again.  Each type of ornament has a separate plastic box (oh shut up) and once all the ornaments are inside I place in some crumbled tissue paper, so they don’t move around, and close the cover.  The following year those bells that have lasted over 50 years will be as much a surprise as ever.  Jeanette’s old glass ball ornaments will bring a wonderful memory of her flooding back and I will pause to miss her as I always do.  The brass angels and the noisey bells will still scare Lina and Toto will have her nose into the birds with the real tail feathers.

This moment in January is one last chance to read all the Christmas cards again and then tear off the covers to be used for gift tags next year on those few gifts that actually get wrapped.  I don’t know about you but the gift card has taken over almost 50% of my giving.  I thank God for itunes cards for every teenager in my life and they thank me back.  Teenager’s actually thanking you without rolling their eyes, priceless.

This moment in January used to lead to celebrating my father’s birthday and then mine and then spring.  The winter has gotten a bit longer now that he is gone but I’ve found other ways to get to spring…can you say White Flower Farm catalog.