MERRY CHRISTMAS! IT'S THE EPIPHANY!

Yes, January 6th is the Epiphany and that's why my Christmas decorations are still up.

Well, that's the excuse I use anyway because I don't want to take them down. I guess it's a Southern tradition, but a lot of people around here put their trees out at the curb on December 26th. Maybe they're concerned about the fire hazard, but I have an artificial tree and I'm in no hurry to get it down. It took a while to get everything up...so what's the hurry?

I have to admit that we're the only people on our street tonight with outside Christmas lights on. I guess some people might think we forgot. No, it's intentional. I'm having fun!

Our Christmas tree might not look pretty to you. It's full of faded construction paper ornaments that the kids made many years ago. Over the years I've had to make emergency repairs with scotch tape. And, I hang all the old pictures of my kids with Santa on the tree too. Can you blame me for wanting to enjoy it just a little while longer?



Our kids are 39, 38, and almost 33. This stuff's been around for a while!

And take a look at this picture. The Santa in the middle was made by ME in pre-school and I just turned 63! I joke with the kids about who made the prettiest ornaments. My mother used to decorate her tree with the things we made and gave me my things some years back.

And when I was packing up my Dad for the move to assisted living here I saved some of the vintage Christmas ornaments and put them in my mother's punch bowls. The only ornament that isn't vintage in this bowl is the little Santa Claus in the middle that says 1918. That was the year my father was born and when I saw it this year I had to have it. It looks vintage anyway.

And here's the other bowl. It's our centerpiece on the dining room table. Good thing we don't drink punch.

And I'll take this opportunity to show you my Norman Rockwell Christmas Village. This is supposed to be Main Street in Stockbridge, MA. I love Norman Rockwell and the one place I want to go before I die is the Normal Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. ( Hey...the trip will be a lot cheaper than Hawaii or some other exotic location.) Please ignore anything that might be knocked over. For some reason the cats love to stroll down Main Street.

And here's the church.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!