Tammi's World

Like it or not.....

it's that time of year. Yep. Holiday Season.

It starts with Halloween and ends at New Years. Actually if you spend as much time in the stores and malls as I do it ends at Valentines Day, but I refuse to go along with that.

Now, time was that I vigorously participated in all the major holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Last few years - not so much.

Let's start with Halloween. I LOVE Halloween. I remember Daddy really decorating the front yard, playing spooky music for our trick or treaters. Hell, it was more fun to stay home and help him than trick or treat. I kept that tradition alive for years. When I was married and had the boys, I'd decorate the entire house. Creatively. And every year it was just different enough to hide surprises for them. Then, I'd dress up and put a cute little costume on the cat and sit outside on the front porch and wait for our visitors. Appropriate music drawing them ever closer. Always great treats - and a few tricks thrown in just to keep everyone on their toes. It seemed like even the cat got into the spirit. Hissing and arching up at interesting times. (She would never hurt anyone - expect the ex. It was like she knew it was a game and was intent on playing along).

As soon as Halloween was over I'd take the scary stuff down and put up the Fall stuff. Leaves, pumpkins, scarecrows - lots of apple and dusky sents. The house was awash with the feelings of fall. Lots of baking in preparation of Thanksgiving day.

Christmas. Ahhh yes, Christmas. My very very favorite holiday. I still believe in Santa and will until the day they say the final good-bye. I have a huge Christmas tree, a huge load of pretties. I have to pack up half my stuff just to put out Christmas. I used to start the day after Thanksgiving. Now that I spend most Thanksgivings alone I start on that day. It takes an entire day just to put the tree up. Then the next to decorate the tree and start with the other pretties. Overall it's a 4 day event. Ending with the traditional Lighting of the House. The evening I have finally finished the last little bit - I start out with lighting all the candles. Making sure I have plenty of warming tarts to fill the air with the frangrance of home - for me it's apple, cinnimon, wine. No pine as Mama was always allergic and I never really got to know that scent. Then it's the lighting of the tree. Sit back with holiday music and enjoy it all. Ahh yes - the Christmas Season.

This year I'll not be decorating for Halloween. My neighborhood is all tourists so there will be no trick or treaters. Everyone will be at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights. Yeah - I'm good, but I can't top that!

I will be taking the time to make the place nice for Thanksgiving. I'm getting ready to put out all my fall candles and spice it up a bit. You see, I'm going home for the Thanksgiving weekend. It's our Family Reunion and the year that everyone is required to attend (so says Mama Vi - and I'm not arguing with HER!) Then I will be bringing Mama home with me for a little over a month. This is only the 2nd time she's visited me in Florida and the longest she has ever stayed. It'll be the first Christmas season I haven't been alone in over 9 years. I'm pretty excited.

We'll be putting up all the pretty stuff and really decking this place out. I'm buying a new camera before the reunion and I WILL have pictures. This house is gorgeous on any day - I can't wait to see it all dressed up!!

Added bonus is I actually have a real live, honest to goodness weekend off. A Saturday and a Sunday. So....this weekend it's time to start with the fall extravaganza. I've been wandering around trying to decide what goes where. I've picked out some very nice candles for strategic places and have ideas for interesting vingettes of color.

Like it or not folks - It's Holiday Season!!!! I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Posted by Tammi at October 22, 2004 07:39 AM