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Monday, January 17, 2011

Exchanging Greens

Outside, all is still covered in snow.


Inside, we have made a few changes, switching this green:

 for this one:

I love all babies, including baby leaves!
Sometimes, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.
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This weekend, Howard helped his reluctant wife (that would be me) denude the no-longer-very-fresh
fir tree in the sunroom.  All things considered, I think it still looked pretty darn good.
For a dead tree.
Four-plus Rubbermaid containers of ornaments later, there were still 1500 lights to come off.
That's Howard's job.
Mama don't do no lights.
A 9-foot tree is a hefty bugger.
Howard grabbed it cozily around its middle
and waltzed it out, up the stone steps, up the driveway, to the curb,
from whence it will depart sometime this week for its future as mulch.

When he came back in the house, he said, "I got a few pine needles in my ear.
And . . . I think I swallowed some."

Now I wish I'd gotten pictures of that.  At least it's good fiber.

 After the Annual Great Needle Suck-Up by the vacuum,
Howard got to work replacing the sunroom ceiling fixture.
By the way, it didn't take him from daylight to dark to do this - in between we went out!
Ta-Da!  Back to normal.

 Normal, but kind of dull, compared to this:
Christmas trees do not photograph well in daylight.  Neither do I.
But -- 2011 will bring another Christmas, another monster tree to deck,
and another January weekend when my man does what he has to do:
force me to say goodbye to the Season.
 I put just a bowl of ivy on the table.  And cough drops; I cough in cold weather.
 Pewter candlesticks I got at Goodwill some months back.
Ditto the silverplate Revere bowl holding the ivy.
And now it's up to the attic with the storage bins.  There are more to fill,
but I'll leave those till tomorrow when the weather will probably be brutal and I'll be glad to be inside.

Happy Monday!  -- Cass


Link Parties:

Metamorphosis Monday, at Between Naps On the Porch.  Visit Susan, click here!
Mosaic Monday at Little Red HouseClick here, say Hi to Mary!
At The House In The Roses, it's Show Off Your Cottage Monday.  Visit Cielo by clicking here.


36 comments:

  1. Cass -- UnChristmasing the house is bittersweet -- I hate to say goodbye but am glad to get back to normal!!!!

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  2. Happy Monday Cass!!
    I think of you often ,,,
    always with a smile..
    marveling at your sense of humor
    and the joy it brings..
    each time I pop into that old house!
    warmest hugs..
    Loui♥
    hello to Dion! and Howard!!

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  3. WEll, I see you still have your sense of humor and it didn't get kicked to the curb with the tree. I am back to normal here too...well...as normal as I can ever get. Have a wonderful week. Hugs-Diana

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  4. Happy monday afternoon to you Cass....hugs and blessings, Flavia

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  5. I always love to visit your house and the conservatory is one of my very favorite rooms.

    I ALWAYS feel like normal is boring after Christmas has to be cleared away.

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  6. Back to normal here also, at least as far as Christmas is concerned. I don't envy you with all that snow. Ours is finally gone and we have had light rain all day.
    Glenda

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  7. Cass,
    What a job. I have one more little arrangement in the guest bathroom and it has Glitter on it....I just got the glitter off my face...

    Decluttering continues.

    Have a great week.

    Carol

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  8. It is sad when the Christmas tree comes down. You have a cute little space there. Have a great week!

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  9. Hi Cass! Oh, that was a pretty good looking dead tree! I agree with you - I don't do no lights either! :)
    Love your January look and the cough drops in the sugar scuttle is a very nice touch! :)
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  10. What a beautiful tree! Looks like it didn't leave too much of a mess! What a good sport your hubby is! It's nice to put the decorations up and it's nice to put them away - don't you think? I love your pewter touches! Have a great day!

    Mary

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  11. Lovin' your fresh new ivy Cass, it looks great! Love the way the pine needles make the vacuum smell good! Yet more snow tomorrow-WOO HOO (not)... ugh:@)

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  12. Your tree was gorgeous - it's so much harder taking them down than putting them up...and I'm like you, everything seems kind od dull and boring for awhile.

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  13. I'm thrilled you came by :) I've never been here before. Your house is awesome no doubt! I love that sunroom on the side.

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  14. I like the idea of replacing the Christmas greens with Ivy. I love Ivy so it's a great addition anywhere to me. By the way, your tree really was holding up very well!

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  15. What a fun post, Cass. Your sense of humor is delightful and your home looks lovely. It's tough to say good-bye to Christmas but luckily we get to do it all over again next season. Thanks for visiting Cottage and Creek and for leaving your sweet comment. Congratulations on your daughter's pending marriage. Have fun with the planning. It's a special time.
    ~ Lynn at Cottage and Creek

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  16. Glad it was you two doing this...I put our decor away a couple of weeks ago.
    More snow on the way here for later in the week.

    Happy Tuesday!


    Melinda

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  17. I need to put Christmas away but instead I just seem to look at it and say "another day". It's so bare when everything comes down.

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  18. Cass, I took mine down weeks ago and I'm still finding needles. Sad to see it go to the curb but thankful that we had that time together. The needles keep reminding me. Sisal attracts pine needles. Law of nature.

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  19. Haha, I love Harold's sense of humor. Lots of efforts to adorn the tree and clean up too!

    Cass, your house is big, and yes it is BIG!

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  20. Great job!! Your Christmas tree was so very lovely...but now you can sit at your wonderful windows and have a cup of coffee and enjoy the view! Having to remove the chandelier reminds me of the Blue Room in the White House...it takes an entire crew to remove the chandy in there and then they anchor to top of the tree to the ceiling! Hope your week is great!!

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  21. Your tree was beautiful. Thanks for having a real one, I just do not like fake trees. Richard at www.myoldhistorichouse.blogspot.com

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  22. I love the sunlight streaming in through the window, even with the snow piled up outside!

    It always takes me about a week or two to get used to the house after undressing it from the holidays. Everything looks so barren and sad, don't you think?

    You definitely need to pull that pressure cooker out, I love mine! I know I'll be using it often. I bet it would work great for that short rib recipe you posted last week. I swear, my stew tasted like it had simmered for hours instead of 10 minutes, lol.

    Have a wonderful week!

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  23. The tree was beautiful but I love your table there too. I have some of my mom's crocheted doilies that I use under bowls and such. Yours is a pretty one!

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  24. Our tree has been done for a few weeks, but Monday I removed all the other winter greens. Sad, so sad. Now I need to decide how I want to decorate those spaces. Love your house!

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  25. Hi Cass! I love your new light fixture! And it does take some getting-used-to after Christmas, doesn't it? Lovely sunroom! I hope you are having a great week!...hugs...Debbie

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  26. I'm always very happy to have the holdays over. Good riddance because spring is just around the corner in the south. I hope!

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  27. From a downunder summer it all looks beautiful. Now, think of the fun in December as you untangle all the tree lights again.

    My dear Folks' left last month's xmas decorating and light untangling to me, however I did leave them with the "taking it all down". I expect to be "untangling again" both indoor and outdoor lights come December 2011!

    Sending warm and cosy care and huggles to you all (and smuggled rextra pats for Dion)

    Michelle and my sleeping Zebbycat, xxxx (and purrrumbles once he wakes up)

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  28. Lucky you! Mr OP, cuts it down and brings it in the house, then takes it out - no other Christmas items touch his hands other than wrapping paper and baked goods:)

    Leann

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  29. Cass, I find it bitter sweet to take down the Christmas tree. Once done, it feels good to have the space back and things normal again, but I do love the season. You have the perfect spot for a huge tree. And lucky you that your husband does lights. LOL
    ~ Sarah

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  30. Ahhh, now doesn't that feel good? We just got our Christmas bins back into the attic today. It is always such a chore to me.

    It is worth it, though, for the beauty of Christmas.

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  31. Good evening, Cass,
    We are un-decorating today too. It is sure a lot more fun to put it up than to take it down, isn't it?!

    Happy Weekend. ~Natalie

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  32. I would have found it terribly hard to part with that tree.
    It was so majestic and you adorned it like it deserved to be. :0)

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  33. You are lucky you get to leave it up that long. I love Christmas and hate taking down the decorations. Have you ever found a neadle, in the summer, and wondered what year it was from?
    Kat

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  34. You are SO LUCKY to have such a beautiful sunny room!!! Our trees are down, and most of the rest of christmas is put away, except for the garland around the front door... but I really need to vacuum, which I have not yet done because I still feel under the weather... at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!

    Stay warm, Cass!
    xoxo,
    Mary

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