Because we will be away this year for Christmas we are not getting a tree. Putting up a tree basically requires a week’s worth of work: a whole day to go out to the Christmas tree farm which is 40 minutes away, tramping out into the woods to find the perfect tree, cutting it down, carrying it back to the car. Then Anders has to tie it to the roof (something I can’t help much with), then driving home and getting it off the car and on to the porch where it usually sits for 24 hours to give bugs a chance to bail (which doesn’t always work) and to dry, because it is invariably raining or snowing or wet when we go. Then Anders has to get it inside, trim the bottom and top branches, put it in the stand, get the lights on, and set the star on top. Then it usually takes me 3 days (or 3 evenings if they are work days) to decorate it. Yes, I have a LOT of decorations. Why do you ask?
But after we made the decision not to bother this year, Karin told me that Essie was really bummed that we weren’t going to have a tree because she had been looking forward to “sitting around it and opening the presents under it”. Hrm. Essie has had a bit of a rough go as far as family goes, and apparently holidays were a casualty as well. So, I started turning over ideas in my head on how I could arrange some sort of tree. We have 4 long boa garlands of red tinsel that I usually just drape over painting frames or the tops of bookcases, but I was thinking that maybe I could tie the ends to the curtain rod in the living room and then anchor the other ends in a triangle shape to the floor somehow…making the SHAPE of a tree. I told Anders my idea, and we tried it but it turned out the garlands weren’t long enough. That set ANDERS to turning over ideas in his head and he came to me a little later with a new idea. What if he got one of the metal frame obelisks we use in the garden to support cucumbers and draped IT with the garlands?
I wasn’t sure it would be tall enough, but it turns out the obelisk comes up to my chest, and once Anders had draped and covered one with the red tinsel garlands and put the star on top, and I decorated a little bit with another garland of golden reindeer, some glitter baubles and, of course, a moose and a peacock, and set it on the round green tree carpet, it looks AMAZING! If a little short. Now I’ve wrapped presents and put them “under the tree” as well, and it’s very festive! Unfortunately, I bumped the tree when I was putting packages around it and the star is a little off-kilter, but I’m confident Anders can fix that when he gets home from his business trip tonight or this weekend.
I’ve spent every evening this week wrapping presents. I had no plans any of the evenings this week, for a wonder. The last 2 evenings and this morning were spent wrapping stocking stuffers. I was very pleased that I managed, WITHOUT COUNTING AS I WENT, to end up with nearly the same amount for everyone. I need to buy ONE more something for Theo’s, and I need to get 1 more thing for Karin, despite thinking I was done last weekend. We have dinner plans both tomorrow and Sunday, but I can go to the mall during the day and find what I need. I feel really on top of Christmas this year. The annual Christmas letter was written and printed over 2 weeks ago. Cards outside of Sweden have been mailed along with a package to my brother. Cards for Swedes are going this coming week. I’m not baking cookies but I have the AIC holiday cookie exchange cookies in the freezer. The house is decorated, and is very mysig. We’re having Maria and Mikael over tomorrow and Anders is doing up a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, which reminds me that I need to add the ingredients for green bean casserole to the grocery list.
Angie started the craze for this particular green bean casserole by bringing it one year to Friendsgiving, despite the fact that she despises green bean casserole and doesn’t eat it herself. She never liked the traditional one that is usually made with mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup and has dried onions on top. But the recipe she got from a friend turned out to be so amazingly good that everyone devoured it and begged her to bring it again the following year, and now I order her to bring it when I’m dividing up the potluck menu. She makes 2 huge oven pans full of the stuff and there is almost never ANY left over. The recipe has no mushrooms or soup in it, and it’s delicious. Here’s a link: [no mushrooms, no creamed soup] Green Bean Casserole (NOTE: I leave out the teaspoon of sugar)
Work was SUPER stressful this week for various reasons and 3 people have been out sick. I burst into tears on the way home in the car TWICE just from everything being too much. I worked from home yesterday and was much more on an even keel and made progress on 2 projects, one of which is the one that is causing most of the stress, so felt much better by the time I went to bed last night, and thankfully, DIDN’T wake up again at 4:30 am like I had the night before, with work anxiety. Ugh. Having today off was exactly what I needed. I have exactly 8 working days left before we leave. I really hope I can get the problem project done or at least in as final a shape as possible if I have to turn it over to a teammate. Wish me luck!
Mood: productive
Music: John Denver—The Christmas Wish