DSD visited on Saturday, and so I bit the bullet yesterday and took down all the decorations.
It took ages. The boxes are currently standing on the landing, waiting to go into the loft. No point putting them away immediately. as I inevitably keep finding bits of Christmas debris for a couple of days.
I was marvelling atjust how many boxes of stuff there is. We don't actually do that much decorating. The tree decorations fit in one box; the front-door-wreath have another box. We have a 2...I can't think of the word...mantles is what comes to mind, but itsn't quite right They take up another box. The bannister....mantle and lights take up another box. Then there are the various battery-operated fairy light strings and the hangers for the kitchen...
When I was a kid we had one small box of christmas tree ornaments, a fake tree, and some then-trendy shiny hanging things which folded flat (which replaced the old-fashioned paper ornaments which folded flat) The fashion was to have these things hanging from the ceiling. Everyone seemed to have them. I left home at 18, and I don't think I've ever used those sort of ornaments in my own home... I wonder when they stopped being de rigeur?
Once everything was packed away, I carried our lovely tree and wreath round to the tree recycing point. I'm very lucky that our local council provides a collection service, and even luckier that it's within walking distance. I thanked the tree and wreath, and left them with all the others.
Today I'm putting newly-washed tablecloth, table runner, mats and stuff away, and then I'll bring my sewing machine downstairs and think about what to sew. Or embroider.
I've already been clearing out stuff that we no longer need, or don't use.
