I finally took the decorations down this afternoon - very late removal, for us. Very organised dismantling, as always. I started by taking off the baubles that go in the bottom of the tree box, and making piles of the others until the bottom layer was complete. We have a place for everything - with a box for the tree decorations, a box for the front door wreath bits, a box for the mantles, a box for the bannister mantle, and a box for the other hanging decorations. Managed to fit everything back in the right boxes, and the boxes are already back in the loft.
Took the tree round to the recycling point - literally a two minute walk from my house. I always feel very sad for the poor discarded trees. Our tree this year was particularly lovely, and had been up possibly for the longest time we've ever had a tree up.
I find myself often giving feelings to inanimate things, and the tree was no different. I'm a little embarrassed to confess that I chatted to the tree all the way there, letting it know how much it was appreciated. I said goodbye to it as I found it a comfortable place to stand while it awaited collection. (I do know that's a bit weird, but I can't help it. Anyway, the whole point is about bringing tree spirits into the house, isn't it?).
The downstairs is now back to "normal" and it looks rather bare.
I expect I'll get used to it in a day or two.
I did find myself contemplating a bit of a living room rearrangement, but that would involve possibly additional or alternative furniture. And/or moving the TV and the cat tree.
I don't yet have the enthusiasm needed to sort it out.
