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The art of decorating smart at Christmas

December 11, 2019 - 00:00
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Connie’s Corner

Feeling the residual effects of my Thanksgiving pneumonia, decorating for Christmas has been a hard go this year. The day after my husband was buried seven years ago, I put up my Christmas tree and have been determined I would continue to do so as long as I could. The pneumonia made me question if this was the year “could” would change to “couldn’t,” but as tired as I’ve been, I just couldn’t throw in the red Noel towel yet.

A lot of good memories are associated with my ornaments and decorations. Some were made by my children and grandkids. Others were acquired through wild gift exchanges with friends when we were 30-something and thought we knew everything there was to know about life. Others are handmade like Aunt Mable’s ceramic Christmas tree and Nativity scene and displaying them each year honors her memory.

But decorating this year would call for working “smart” - something my husband knew how to do well. I did learn a few things from him during those 44 years, but I’m highly motivated when it comes to adapting tasks to fit my less than five-foot frame, low center of gravity and less than robust upper body strength. That includes accomplishing what I want without using a ladder.

Fast forward from the 1980s when my husband climbed on the roof and outlined our two-story house with Christmas lights that could be seen for blocks off SH 6 in Alief, to the white icicle lights and big red bows on our wraparound porch on our house on a hill in Bedias, to present. What works for me in 2019 is what they call shrub lights - a net of lights that drapes over your shrubs. I mark the two sides and keep each side strung together to make it easier to put out the next year. The trick is remembering whether it’s the male or female plug that will connect to the cord on the porch. Shrub lights are not labor intensive or risky to install. They work for me and allow me to continue our family tradition, in a manner of speaking.

Moving along with working smart, I took my time moving my Christmas inventory from garage to house and I have Marcus Noto to thank for the ability to do that. Last year, at Noto’s close-out sale, I purchased a hand truck that converts to a platform truck. It has been empowering to move things around without compromising my back or tripping because I can’t see where I’m going. The platform truck is also a nostalgic reminder of Noto’s colorful pedal cars and Christmas window display that decorated downtown Navasota for decades. It will be missed!

The past few years I’ve whittled down my tree ornaments and what I call my “sit-around” decorations. But not included in my R.I.S. (reduction in stuff) are the Christmas towels bought long ago at the West Oaks Mall Foley’s morning-after-Thanksgiving sale. While my family was still sleeping, I quickly and quietly prepared them a breakfast quiche or casserole, stuck it in the oven, and headed to Foley’s 2 miles away to be there when they opened at 8 a.m. Getting there before 10 a.m. provided a special discount on top of the newspaper coupons and the Red Apple Sale price!

Christopher Radko ornaments, four sets of Christmas coffee mugs and Christmas bath towels were just a few of my Foley’s holiday purchases obtained with my three discounts. In retrospect, I don’t think my family cared whether they drank out of Christmas mugs or used a Christmas towel, but it was part of what I thought made my home festive and contributed to good memories of the holidays. If you read my column on “stuff,” I get the last laugh because they will have to deal with the mugs and towels eventually!

While engaged in writing this column, I’m obviously not finishing my decorating and just thinking about it has made me tired! My plan is to be done by Navasota’s “Home for the Holidays.” But if I don’t, let’s keep it between you and I that what you see is what was intended all along!

Connie Clements is a freelance reporter and award-winning columnist. She writes feature news articles on a weekly basis and an opinion column as the mood strikes her.