Letter from the editor
As Thanksgiving leftovers get eaten, many of us are shifting gears to decorating for Christmas. The holidays have arrived like fireworks: explosive and bright!
Calendars are quickly filled with holiday parties, luncheons and special events. Amid the hustle and bustle, we’re also tasked with transforming our homes into Christmas village set pieces.
When it comes to Christmas, I’m admittedly overzealous. A long-running family joke is that I “decorate the decorations” and my real name is Cindy Lou Who. Over the years, my collection has grown substantially. This year, when we brought the boxes down from the attic, our home looked like an Amazon warehouse. However, I’m now reluctantly scaling back, passing some of the family décor on to our daughters, who are now building their own collections.
As much as I love decorating, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. My decorating mishaps sometimes resemble scenes from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
A few years back, when we moved into our current home, I spotted a massive Christmas-tree-shaped evergreen in the front yard. My husband, Bob, rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what I was thinking.
We grabbed lights and borrowed the neighbors’ extra-long ladder, determined to transform the tree into a glowing masterpiece. Bob was willing to let me take charge of this ambitious Christmas challenge. He held the ladder while I climbed to the top.
The tree was taller than I initially thought. I stood on my tippy-toes on the highest rung of the ladder.
I could feel my toes losing traction on the ladder. The wind threatened my delicate balance. Lights tangled in the twigs and I bit my lip in frustration.
Our dogs were barking at me from below, warning me to get down before I got hurt. But there were so many lights! And they needed to be distributed perfectly!
After a close call, I made the cowardly (and perhaps wise) decision to descend and keep the tree half-lit. Is there such a thing as a good-enough Christmas tree? I guess I answered my own question.
This year, I stare out onto that formidable tree with eyes of determination. Can I scale that goliath in 2024? I don’t know.
But if my Christmas icon Clark Griswold has taught me anything, Christmas is always worth the hijinks.
Whether you go all out with decorations or keep things simple, may your holidays be filled with peace, love and untangled string lights.
Peace & Love,
Cindy
