Rural Routes, Blog Version

MAKING A LIST

People love lists.

Twenty things never to wear if you are over fifty. Fifteen presents to buy for the grinch in your life. Ten actors who haven’t acted since 2000.

Curiosity got the better of me and I clicked on  Seven Ways to Reduce Christmas Stress. Not that the season registers anywhere near the levels it used to show on the stress meter when our children were young, and family gatherings were large.

Part way down the list, I read this:

You do not have to buy new decorations; it is perfectly fine to re-use last year’s.

You mean people actually make a point of buying new Christmas decorations every year to match a colour or subject theme?

I guess they do. (And I am told that if you want to go the less expensive route, thrift stores are an excellent source for old Christmas decorations).

My decorations are an eclectic mix; the one commonality is their personal meaning. I used to make my own ornaments… or buy a special one when I was travelling… or I would receive a souvenir decoration from a family member who had travelled. And those decorations have been used over and over again. A photo recently popped up on my social media showing our dog lying in front of our tree at the farm and the same ornaments I could see in the photo are on our tree this year. The tree is different, but not the ornaments. My adult children tell me I need to write down what each ornament means to me so that they too, will know.

It is true that I might not have the energy to expend on an entirely new holiday decorating theme for 2024. Then again, it is not something I ever did, so why start now?

CHRISTMAS CARDS

Sending Christmas cards was not included in the list of seven, but I don ‘t doubt it could have been. Fewer people send Christmas cards these days and eliminating what had become a chore is one reason for this. With the nation-wide postal strike in Canada this year, it became a moot point for many.

 I have always loved sending and receiving Christmas cards.

At home, I would examine all the cards at Mom and Dad’s. I learned whole branches on our family tree from the names on Christmas cards, even though I had never met the people who sent them. There were so many cards.

On Christmas Day at Grandma’s, I would look at all the cards she had received. She had them displayed on windowsills and furniture. In later years, I helped her write on the cards she wanted to send.

Remember when there was a different stamp and a lower price for cards that did not contain a letter? If the only message was “Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!” you qualified for the special Christmas stamp.

I hesitated this year, thinking that perhaps the strike would not last long and I could still send out cards. But after a few weeks, I gave up. The workers are back now, but why add to the backlog? I replaced the cards with emails, social media messages and phone calls.

I did think of hanging old Christmas cards, instead of newly received ones, but remembered that earlier this year I finally discarded my old cards. What did I need them for, I asked myself. Isn’t that always the way?

COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS

I have several advent calendars, or their equivalent, in this house.

First, there is the framed cross stitch picture that I stitched more than 40 years ago. You attach one ornament each day to the picture of Santa Claus getting ready to climb down the chimney. “Believe,” it says at the top.

There are the Icelandic Yule lad ornaments that start arriving one at a time on December 12 and then leave the same way after Christmas Day. The figure that I set out this morning is known for slamming doors throughout the house. The Yule Lads are the children of the ogress Gryla and in older times their arrival was something to be feared. Nowadays they bring small gifts.

There are the 24 50-piece cat puzzles – perfect for a 10-minute break with a cup of coffee. I give it bonus points because I can put it away and do the puzzles again next year if I so choose.

And finally, there is the countdown clock that I purchased this year at an auction sale. It is a battery-operated clock that, in addition to telling the time, tells you how many days remain until Christmas. I do not know for sure, but I think it could be one of the original advent calendars. No chocolates to eat; no games to play; just a daily reminder that the holiday is getting closer.

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