I really wish I had a camera. There's something I want to show you. Instead, I force you to rely on my oh-so-sharp descriptions to create your own picture in the best camera of all, the mind's eye.
It's our Christmas tree. For some reason, after years of opposing it, B decided that this year we should get one. He thinks that chopping down a living organism, chucking it in a bucket of water and hanging things on it for two weeks before it dries up and turns into a fire hazard in the name of tradition is bizarre - imagine!
I had become used to not having a tree, but I didn't argue with his change of heart, so on Friday, we walked to our nearest tree dealership and brought one home, put it in the bathtub to thaw and went to the pub, where I ate a steak and kidney pie (which wasn't very good).
Sunday, we began the decorating, or as some say, 'trimming' - but I've never been into that word. We had a few decorations knocking around which we supplemented by some hand-made ones. The first one I made was a kind of tribute to Martha Stewart Does Christmas, a small styrofoam ball covered in stuff. Around the centre, a band of red 'velvet' (svelvet?), lined above and below in a dance of alternating shells and whole cloves, with a crown and base of dried petals (I think they're roses, but they've kind of faded so I can't tell). I really want to give this to someone I only kind of know and say nothing and see what happens. B made popcorn and cranberry garlands. It looks like the ratio is 8:1 popcorn to cranberry, which is good because cranberries are not cheap. There is a yellow star, an angel relying too heavily on cotton balls, a fan, a frame housing a sticker with a Toulouse Lautrec painting on it, a candy - or something? - but my favourite is B's coloured paperclip sled. He is the duck's nuts for making this thing. OK, I just wanted to write 'duck's nuts', but it is a good-looking sled. He disagrees and has hidden it towards the back.
I love this tree! But the whole concept of decorating a tree really is ridiculous. It is a little bit like dancing in a packed night club. I imagine aliens landing and observing what we humans do and thinking... huh? It must look so absurd from outside.
7 comments:
that svelvet ornament sounds awesome! also the sled. (for some reason I thought you said it was yellow)
we do not have a tree. the 2 decorations from last year were never put away and this year my mom gave us coloured LED lights that we have basically thrown across the top of the book shelf. voila! xmas at our place.
My mom did force me to decorate her monster house when I was down there though. I was a little worn out from the trip and the dancing so it was almost a fight. She can be a bit bossy. The funny thing was my grandpa and I read everyone's horoscope that day and hers said she better be careful about alienating herself by being too bossy. He and I laughed at her all morning about it. she did too actually.
Incidentally, did you know those lights are not replaceable? They last "forever" but then you're supposed to just throw them out. How contradictory and sad.
The svelvet is so brutal!
That's funny about the horoscope. Sometimes it'll say the most appropriate thing.
I didn't know that about the lights. That's really shitty, but typical of mass-produced stuff I guess.
I just read this big exchange of comments on your friend Ernesto's blog about something Morrissey said in a magazine that was quite racist/nationalistic, so it made me reread some of my own posts to try to see how I 'come across'. Do you do that? It's kind of hard to imagine your own self when you know you. If that makes any sense!
yes, I do that all the time. mostly because I'm bored and narcissistic though. I spend way too much time already, wondering how I come across.
Have you looked at Ginger's blog? every so often she posts funny bits about how her kids are suddenly Morrissey obsessed. Super funny!
I hate that you are an hour ahead.
Blogging is pretty narcissistic and self-indulgent, hey? But I've been thinking about it and, considering everyone needs to indulge the self to some degree, I think blogging is one of the better ways to do it - better than cornering someone at a party. Not that I'm above that!
I've looked at Ginger's blog a few times - it's good! She made some great points in that discussion. It was a really good debate, totally got me thinking (you've probably read it too, sorry if this is all repetitive). I didn't know that about her kids though - that is funny.
An hour really makes a difference! I had to go to bed there.
I meant I re-read my blog often in a fit of narcissism, not because I can be bothered to figure out how I come across. THAT I do in everyday life and way way too often.
am hoping that all this self-indulgent blogging will reduce my 'irritate others' factor in public. boxing day will be the ultimate indicator no? Mind you Dave will be there and it's way too fun to be aubnoxious (sic hahaha snort) with Dave.
don't worry about being repetitive, I don't remember half of what I read and it's nice to hear what you think.....and I have to admit, that particular conversation was beyond my level of intellectual laziness of late.
Ha ha, I keep thinking ahead to boxing day in that way. Dave will save - is impossible to be aubnoxious around him.
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