The calendar does, I suppose. Some traditions also dictate that "Christmas is over" when the New Year arrives. Some traditions keep it going until February. For me it feels "over" when I'm back at work. Which is usually the second week in January.
That was, drum roll please, yesterday. (Today as I write, but I want to keep my tense correct, time travel, dontcha know?)
It wasn't too bad, it was busy enough so that the day went quickly. But it's that damned up before the sun stuff which tires me out. (I have never been a "morning person," can't say as I ever will be.)
Driving home after work, which due to the lengthening days was in twilight rather than full dark, I noticed a few folks still had their Christmas lights up (and lit, some folks leave then up year-round, which looks rather odd in daylight in midsummer) which made me feel good.
I truly love the decorations, the bright lights, the cheerfulness those lights lend to the cold dark of a winter's night. Once all that goes away, it's just winter. (Calm down you Southerners, I happen to know many of you had a taste of winter over this last month, I mean real winter, as in "Holy crap it's cold outside!")
Most of all though, I miss the opportunity to go visit family, like this little guy and "his" dog. (Really, the two are inseparable, though The Nuke would argue that Kodi is "her" dog, Buzz says "mine.")
The wee lad has become quite the little chatterbox, not only does he speak in full sentences, using words that he can barely get his young mouth around (like "look," he says "yook," "el" sounds can be difficult).
One of the things he has picked up is the phrase, "I don't know either." The Missus Herself had asked me if I knew where something was, I told her "I don't know." In passing she glanced at Buzz, he smiled and said "I don't know either." Smart lad there.
So yes, the official, celebrated by many on the dates agreed to by most, Christmas season is over.
The decorations will come down, the lights will go dark, and eventually the gloom of winter will set in.
Perhaps eventually I'll get the urge to be creative again. Perhaps the day will come when I will start writing more fiction, but ...
Oh well ...
Yup, the Season is over, Christmas trees are piled on the ploughed mounds of snow awaiting pickup, fewer lights twinkling during the evenings but....a good but...there IS a bit more daylight in the late afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI can dig the more daylight, that's for sure.
DeleteThe season needs an end so it can have a beginning and still be special.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point, Rob.
DeleteSigh. The first day back is always the hardest. I tried to cushion it a little this year by opening e-mail once or twice and at least clearing out all the non-essential/junk mail. That made it slightly more approachable. But yes, energy levels decreased rapidly.
ReplyDeleteDay two, things look bleak but ...
DeleteOh wait, I have every Friday off!
All better now.
:-)
Delete😎
DeleteWelcome home, get back to work! We had my MIL and her BF (her deceased husband's best-bud whose wife died as well) visit for the holidays and I'm glad that's over. Good visit, but you know what they say- house guests are like fish.
ReplyDeleteTuna here with that comment. No ideer why it didn't auto-log me in.
DeleteBack to work, aye.
DeleteThat bit about house guests, I'm feeling you. (Unless I am the house guest, then every day is like a party. 🙄)
Ah Tuna, I should have known. (No one understands the ways of Google, not even the people who work there.)
DeleteDue to things, well, decorations went up late, like we didn't finish the room till Christmas Eve. Which means taking branches from the fake tree we have and putting them on top of all the bookshelves and along the curtain rod, stringing lights over them and hanging our ornaments. It's like laying back under the tree when you were a kid, looking up and seeing all the lights and shiny things.
ReplyDeleteProbably get to taking it all down next week. Probably. Wife has achy-breaky tooth with corresponding infection so we get to see a doc tomorrow for said infection and then probably next week to strip-mall dentist to get the tooth gakked.
Weird thing in this town, didn't see any live-tree lots or piles of dead trees for the last couple years. Makes me wonder if the libtard leaders of this socialist hell-hole banned them or something. Eh, too much bother to look.
You'll write when your brain is ready to write. This last month you're brain has been engaged in thoughts of family and such, all while editing your book (which other author friends say does tend to kill inspiration as you're reading the same thing over and over again and it becomes... work.) In other words, your muse took a holiday. She'll pop around when she's damned ready. Considering all you wrote this year, she piled up the frequent flier miles and the bonus points and comps at all the fine muse-ly resorts.
I have my doubts that she'll come home before the daffodils bloom.
Delete😁
Which, according to the glubull warming wonks, should be next week, right?
DeleteHeh.
DeleteWe still have a pound of cranberries in the fridge to make something with. Maybe syrup, mix the pulp with chopped orange zest and pulp. There's a Napoleon in the freezer, we'll split it for our birthday.
ReplyDeleteAnd there's the snow. The joys of Minnesnowda, dontch know.
Plenty here in the Twin Cities this early in the season, four feet eh?
Deletehtom - Yes, snow feels "Christmas-y," I'm sure you guys have enough for any number of Christmases. (I do loves me some cranberries!)
DeleteNylon12 - Four feet?!?! Here's what the DEM in Little Rhody has to say about our average snowfall:
DeleteThe average annual snowfall in Rhode Island increases from about 20 inches on Block Island and along the southeast shores of Narragansett Bay to 40 to 55 inches in the western third of the State.
Officially, we've had 45" this snow season. The "problem" is that we got 2 1 2 0.5 3 1� 2.5 1 1 2 and then in four days 10 15 18 and were not expecting it. Normally it would be 2-5" per week. Same (rough) total. 60"-80" a season.
DeleteThat's a lot of snow!
DeleteThe neighbors are blaming me. I have a big snowthrower, 10hp, 30" wide intake, track drive. Every fall I clean it up, get it ready for use. The last five years it hasn't been used, and so this year I skipped the prep.
DeleteTempting the Snow Gods, they say. Guilty.
Well, there you go.
DeleteHave they decided on your penance yet? 😏