Her primary goal was to do something different this year, so she attempted to get stuff out of her house rather than see how much junk she could get to fill her house. She decided early on to extend this to her gift giving this year and raised the amount of thought put into gifts. As she says, "It makes no sense to buy stuff that nobody needs." And she's right. Last year, my mom got me a crystal that you can plug in to change colors. Thanks mom!
My mom made candied pecans for everyone every year. Although we never called them pecandies, I clearly remember her making them and especially the way it made the house smell. As I grew older, and I presume in need of less emotional protection, I also remember my mother's obligatory resentment towards the whole process.
Carrell's house smelled of her obligatory gifts too. While she accepted the fact she would need to have many small gifts, she used it as an opportunity to get rid of some stuff. As a teacher, she has gained a mighty collection of mugs, which have recently moved to be about neck-and-neck with apples as the most cliched gift for a teacher. Mugs with apples on them of course taking the cake and eating it too. Mugs filled with fresh cedar chips that smells like fully decorated Christmas trees is the same idea as both frankincense and myrrh, and those worked out as pretty good gifts. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing exactly how wise Carrell is.
Now for wrapping her presents, she used nothing bought at the store and, much like me and batteries, claims she never will buy wrapping paper again. She used tissue paper and brown bags which they say is at least bio-degradable. Plus, brown bags you can get at the grocery store.
Carrell's decorations consisted of decking the halls with boughs of holly, which to me, makes sense. There aren't too many songs about decking the halls with inflatable light-up snowmen and merry-go-rounds that go on sale in late October. I'm not saying there shouldn't be such songs; in fact, I can think of quite a few things to rhyme with Wal-Mart. She also used pine cones and gourds and other stuff from the great outdoors. This also included cattails, which surprise to both her and me, are filled with white seeds that fall out of it with the wind day after day, like snow! I saw her house and it looked great! Even before the tree!The tree that I have proudly on display, I got on Saturday, December 22 for $35 even though it was in a bin marked $24. It was a surprise for Tiffany that I was getting a tree, and I was in hurry, so I didn't say anything... plus, I'm me and probably wouldn't have said anything anyway. Carrell got a tree on Sunday, December 23 for free even though it was marked $60.
I guess good things come to those who wait... and go green. It's a pretty nice looking tree too.
Her one concession was lights. Although she fought against it, she worried her house was too drab and un-jolly from the street, much like the Fredianni's of my childhood, so she pulled out the fake candles and set them up in the windows of her house where they've been in Christmases past. She quickly defends herself however, saying that she hopes to find energy-saving ones in the future.All-in-all, it's pretty impressive feat, and now that Christmas is winding down and trees are being drug out to the curb, she gladly reports that the best part is that there is hardly any clean up and she's got all she needs for next year.
Here's to that! And a final Merry Christmas 2007 everyone, and hello 2008!
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