………………..CHRISTMAS IS OFFICIALLY OVER!…..THE BEFORE & AFTER……..The tree is the very last thing I take down after all of the decorations in all of my other rooms have been stored away. It took me three days….no rush….to take all of the candles, icicles, and ornaments off the tree and carefully pack them away…..Unfortunately, one did break, but thank goodness it wasn’t one of my favorites! I always expect one or two to have mishaps and if they aren’t shattered, and can still be hung on the tree next year….they too get carefully put away. There are quite a few of these “casualties”….that I hang in the back of the tree facing the windows…..where only I and the deer can see them…I just can’t throw them away just because they are a little “damaged”…They are all part of my “family”…..It also gives me a good excuse to add a new one or two or three if I find something really special…….Now the tree will be rolled out onto the sunporch where it will stay until next November when it gets rolled back into the “Gathering Room”…….It’s nice to have an evergreen tree on my sunporch all spring, summer and fall [I don’t cover it]……a reminder of Christmas to come!
Louis….I feel the same way about damaged ornaments. There are a few on the back of my tree. I just took my tree down a couple of days ago, the longest I have ever had it after Christmas. A lot of work to put it up and not enough time enjoy it. I do wish I could roll mine onto a porch. Time flies and we will be decorating for Christmas before we know it.