Not a Bummer

I love Christmas. Love it, love it, love it. I'm the person who heads to the tree farm (or nursery or whatever) the day after Thanksgiving to buy the tree, and I usually wait waaaaaaaayyyy too long to take it down after Christmas is over (read: January is in the double digits). The tree is always brown and losing needles everywhere, but I'm always so sad to dismantle it that I put it off as much as possible.

This year, we took the tree and all the Christmas decorations down on the 26th. It was long past its prime, and it had become a haven for all sorts of spiders and moths that enter the house through our unscreened windows (don't get me started). Plus, our house is so small that a 7-foot Douglas fir takes up A LOT of space that we could otherwise use for toys and playing. So down it came, and surprisingly, it wasn't sad. Not in the least. After thinking about this for a few days, I've concluded that it's at least in part because it's summertime and there's simply so much else to do that I haven't dwelled on the end of Christmas. In fact, most of the country packs up on Boxing Day and heads out for several weeks of camping on the beach and extended holidays. What a nicer way to ease into the new year than heading back to work in the dark and the cold for a few days before the new year's day off.

For our part, we've been BBQing with friends, playing at the beach, splashing in the outdoor pools, and today . . . berry picking! It's a lovely 78 degrees with a light breeze and some high clouds--we're loving it! The berry farm also had fresh berry ice cream sundaes with chocolate sauce and berries on top for $6. I was so tempted, but I didn't give in. In retrospect, we may have to pick berries again this week if only for the chance to succumb to the lure of cool, sweet treats afterward.