My husband and kids call me the Christmas Nazi.

This stems from my love of Christmas and decorating the house for it.

Okay, so I decorate just about EVERY room in the house...and the house itself...and the yard. That doesn't make me the Christmas Nazi.

Let me explain.

First, let's talk about the tree. I have so many ornaments that I can't use them all at once, so every year, I have to decide which ones get used and which ones languish in a box until the next year's decision. Most of them are handmade; some of those are especially dear to me, like the crocheted snowflakes and icicles my grandmother made...and of course, all of the ornaments that the kids have made over the years. I could never, ever part with any of those. Some ornaments are bought but are just as special...like the one Mother gave to the Big Guy and I our first married Christmas, engraved with our names and the year...and I can't forget my Christmas mice (must be the feline in me, but I LOVE ornaments with cute little mice in them). I have Victorian Santas, Christmas sleds, reindeer, icicles that we have built up through years of school fundraiser purchases. There are musical instruments, Santas, angels, and literally hundreds of other odd and end ornaments. Then there are the garlands. I used to try to change that up every year, but then I got the idea to use our clan tartans as garlands. I haven't been able to find a suitable version of the Big Guy's clan tartan as yet, but I keep looking. For the past several years, I've used my clan tartan (I'm a quarter Scots, clan Stewart of Appin). Sometimes I run it vertical, sometimes diagonal...this year, I'm twisting it with gold beaded garland, which should be OH SO pretty.....but I digress. Anyhoo...I usually use that with a silver garland with bells on it (haven't decided if it goes on the tree this year or not...will have to see how it looks with the gold and plaid). I don't use tinsel for a couple of reasons: I don't want to endanger Ogh, who might try to ingest it, and I just flat out do not LIKE it. I don't even want to get into the number of lights I put on the tree...let's just say that if I put too many more on there, the poor tree might topple under the weight.

We have a fireplace, and I always decorate the mantel. I put a faux pine garland up there, and decorate that. Sometimes I use gold and silver painted pine cones (the advantage to all those damned pine trees out back), sometimes I put arrangements of candles along it. Sometimes I use ribbons or clan tartan garlands in it, too. Sometimes, I leave it relatively plain. Always, I hang our stockings along the front, the grown ups' stockings on one side, the kids' on the other, Ogh's in the middle (one for each member of our family). Sometimes I hang something - some decoration or other - on the wall over the mantel, sometimes I leave our family portrait up and leave it at that. Haven't decided this year.....yet.

I have Christmas bears and a nativity and....let's just say that I have to take down ALL of my knick knacks to bring out all of my Christmas stuff and leave it at that, shall we?

Then, of course, there are the table decorations (candles and greenery and figurines and...you get the idea, right?) and linens and dishes that only come out this time of year. The depression glass dish set that belonged to my great grandmother only comes out for Thanksgiving and New Year's. We have a set of dishes specifically for Christmas. Place mats and napkins and table runners and....you know how it is.

And we can't forget the hobby tree. Well, okay, hobby trees, plural, as of this year. Now there are three. The Original hobby tree gets a spot of pride on a table all by itself. I'll have to figure out where to put the two new ones. Thomas has more or less laid claim to one that he wants in his room, so it will probably go in there. I will spend most of this holiday season working on the newest one...I've got the ornamentation for it, and I'm making garlands. I'll be working on making a base for it and of course the many, many tiny little presents that go with it....and adding some more presents to the original hobby tree since I found some room under there for a FEW more. I've already explained the hobby tree and how it keeps me from undoing and redoing the big tree all season long.

And that's just the inside.

Sometimes I just hang a huge wreath I made on the front door, sometimes I decorate the front door as a huge Christmas package. I haven't done that in a few years, so I might do that this year. We'll see. I have wreaths that I've made especially for the French doors in the back, too.

We hang icicle lights all around the eaves of the house. We sometimes wrap the windows in lines of lights, too. We put lights in the natural trees out front, we have put lights in artificial trees out back on the deck. We wrap the deck in lights just about every year. We make Christmas trees out of lights by hanging them on our larger trees and staking them out. At night, you can see our house from WAY down the block when it's all lit up.

I have been known to wrap my mailbox post in ribbon and lights and to turn my window shutters into large, beribboned presents. I have giant candy canes, too. I haven't used them in a few years, but I think I will get them out this year, give them a new coat of paint, and line the walkway...or maybe the driveway...with them.

I'm very particular about the decorating, inside and out. It all has to be just so, which is ONE of the reasons I start decorating for the holidays so early. Halloween decorations come down and Christmas starts going up the same day. If I didn't start that early, I'd never get it all done. There's just too much to do.

ALL of that comes before we ever get to the baking and candy making and cooking that comes with the holidays. I have been known to spend up to four days cooking for a single holiday meal. And that's okay, too. I LOVE to cook for my family.

And THAT is why my husband and children call me the Christmas Nazi.

I deny the moniker. I am NOT the Christmas Nazi.

I'm not.

Really.

I'm nowhere near as bad as Mother. SHE starts decorating even earlier than I do.

She reminded me the other day that when she dies (hopefully many, many decades from now), all of HER Christmas decorations get divided up between me and my sister.

I need a bigger house, just for the decorations.

I knew that I had pregnant guppies...they're practically born pregnant anyway.

This afternoon, my son John and I were watching the fish swim back and forth and he pointed out that SEVERAL of the other fish look pregnant...so I took a closer look, and sure enough, it looks like at least TWO of every type of fish I have in there is preggers.

::: snickle :::

No wondering what THEY'VE been up to, huh?

PS: This is a pic of my new fish tank...it's not the best pic, but dammit, the fish wouldn't pose for me!!!

Nee Nee's surgery was today. Mother called me as soon as the doctor came out and talked to them.

The doc said it looked pretty good, from what they could see. It looked like the cancer was minimally invasive, though they will know more after dissection. The ovaries looked good, and so did her liver and other organs that were examined.

They don't think she's going to need radiation, unless the dissection turns up a surprise.

Hopefully the hard part is over, and all she has to do now is concentrate on healing.

Thank you everyone who has kept her in your thoughts and prayers.