Ring the Bells

Just got back from my run this morning--made a new playlist with "Ring the Bells" by Travis Cottrell as the first song. Which I listened to twice in a row. And may have waved my arms around to like a conductor while I ran down the road. Maybe.

And now I want to decorate for Christmas.

But I need to get in the shower and get our school day going and study my Greek vocabulary cards and brush up on reflexive pronouns. So I won't be decorating for Christmas today.

But I'm tempted.

I've never put up the tree earlier than  Thanksgiving. But Monday is looking pretty good. I love, love, love having my quiet time each morning by the light of the Christmas tree and I'm getting antsy.

See? I want to make it look this this. NOW. TODAY. THIS MINUTE!

And I'm extra antsy (can you tell?!) when I stop and remember that I didn't even have a Christmas tree last year. Not a branch, not a cone. It was pretty sad.

What about you? When do you decorate for Christmas?

Okay, really must get my rear in gear and get going for the day. Not to mention eat breakfast. Can you hear my tummy growling? ::grrrwwwrrrrllllllrrrr:: But first, one more cup of coffee...

Comments

[Cindy]

Thinking about putting our stuff out on Friday. I love your tree! Is that ribbon made of burlap? it is really cool! Your tree looks so warm and cozy and very inviting! Thanks for sharing! I'm thinking I need Travis' album too. Enjoy your day!

[Susan Smith]

Ever since the kids were wee ones, the day after Thanksgiving (NEVER do the Black Friday thing) we have gone out to the tree farm in Amissville, VA and cut down a tree. Okay, that is our "story" but over the years it has evolved to: "mom wants a Frasier Fir and the tree farm brings them in, cut, from their mountain acreage so we tromp through the fields, take our annual Christmas card photo and go back to the shed where mom has already picked out the perfect tree...that we didn't cut down." Same basic tradition. Same tree farm. It's just that I want the Frasier Fir. Some years, our tree has sat in a bucket of water for a week before we've gotten around to putting it up and decorating it. This year, my mom and dad will be here so we will most likely decorate it Friday night. The same Friday we pick it up.

Wow. That's a week from this Friday. I'm usually pretty much done with my Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving, or at least by Dec 1. Haven't even started this year. Haven't even made my list, let alone checked it twice.

Wow. I gotta go...

:)

[Kathleen Jaeger]

We often put the decorations up over Thanksgiving weekend...but it is not a certainty. :+) for we have a birthday over the Thanksgiving weekend so sometimes we wait until after Nov. 29th.

[Vicki]

I usually do all my Christmas decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year is going to be different, I think. I've already started playing Christmas music last week. I think that this weekend I will put up the Christmas Village and then slowly add something everyday. Each day will be filled with a surprise since I kind of forget the neat decorations I have because they have been packed away for a year. I am so ready for the holidays this year.

[Dori]

I usually wait until December 1. But Monday is the day for us, too! I can't wait and want plenty of time to enjoy the sights, sounds, lights and reminders of the season.

Have fun!

Blessings,
Dori

P.S. But make no mistake, I start playing a Christmas song every once and awhile during the Halloween time! Don't care for Halloween and I think it helps me cope!! :)

[Dianne - Bunny Trails]

One year we didn't get our tree up and suddenly Christmas was just days away. I didn't want to haul everything out for just a few days, so I pulled down a roll of bulletin board paper, taped an enormous piece to the wall, and painted a big green tree on it. Then I got the rubber stamps out and stamped ornaments. They were cut out and taped to the tree. I made a star out of a clothes hanger covered with shimmery foil wrapping paper. It was actually quite fun. Much better than putting the presents under the foosball table!

We saved the tree and actually used it last year again. I even added paper stockings last year from my scrapbook supplies.

Some years we go all out and some years we just hang up paper. :-)

[Melissa @ Breath of Life]

I will wait til the day after Thanksgiving, although it's hard. Especially since I started doing morning devotions by the tree light (at your suggestion several years ago). I LOVE it, too!

[rhonda]

I am a late decorator.In recent years we have not even gotten a tree until Christmas Eve. The house gets decorated around the first of December and then I hold out on the tree. My favorite time is after everyone has gone to bed. I turn off all the lights in the house and just bask in the Christmas tree lights. I have done that since I was a teenager. I love that quiet time.

[Kim Feth]

For the first time in SEVERAL years, my husband isn't working a retail schedule - which always meant that if we wanted it done after Thanksgiving, that The Boy and I had to do it ourselves, or squeeze it in at some other time. This year, we've decided we will not do any Black Friday and we will hang the outside lights and start decorating on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Not sure when we'll get the tree.

[julie]

What a beautiful cozy picture of your home! We usually start decorating for Christmas around December 1st and we get our tree on the first Dec. weekend.

[Dawn W]

We always decorate the weekend before Thanksgiving as my MIL is here and we celebrate all the holidays during her visit. I want the house to look festive for her, too. This year, though, she arrives on the weekend so the decorations are going up this week.

I can hardly wait!

[mompluskid]

One of the Christmas concerts I will be playing violin in next month is called "Ring the Bells". I can't wait!