In the Bleak Midwinter.

If you’ve never listened to Shawn Colvin’s version of this song, I highly recommend it. It’s beautiful. Perfect mix of music, vocals and lyrics.

Like most people, our Christmas decor is coming down with the tree being removed tomorrow afternoon. Normally we’d leave it up until Epiphany, but because of work and school that would entail nearly an entire extra week, so we’ll buckle and take it down two days early, leaving only our wintery garlands and a few snowmen.

Hanging from the light over the dining room table are the plastic canvas snowflakes my great-grandmother made. They’re simple to make (check out this link) and inexpensive too, but they remain one of my favorite decorations. Grandma died in 1994 at the age of 93. These snowflakes graced my Mom and Dad’s tree for years and until our tree filled up with annual ornaments marking our lives together, they hung on our tree too. Now they hang over our table every year until spring time. A gentle reminder of not only winter, but Grandma. Big Daddy and the girls never met her, but having something that is so reminiscent of her hanging over our meal times makes me feel as though they’re connected to her too and not just through me.

And, as Big Daddy and I clean the house from top to bottom, removing every scrap we don’t think we need, it causes me to think about where my priorities are.

Big Daddy and I are purging the house. Somehow, neither of us mind the work and yet we only do it eveyr few years when someone (namely me) snaps from the tension of too much stuff in a too small space. We agree to “be brutal” and begin dumping books, clothes, craft supplies, movies, c.d’s and things kept for reasons neither of us can really identify.

This morning, Big Daddy loaded up the back of the Mom Mobile with household cast offs and we drove the Salvation Army in town and were confronted with an actual MOUNTAIN of donated goods. Big Daddy actually muttered “holy shit” or similar.

We called the Salvation Army earlier in the week to see how late they accepted donations and they told us that they took them until 7:00 p.m. but standing outside looking at the pile, there was just no way they were going to get it all moved in by 7. I wondered if it meant that maybe their crew came IN at seven to move and sort.

And in addition, I was disheartened at the obviously broken items laying around. Broken strollers and changing tables. I mean, OBVIOUSLY broken. Not, well, this could use a new screw or if someone recovered this it would be perfect, but a changing table actually missing the changing top and a rail and a stroller missing….everything but the wheels and a canopy. I know times are tough, but I’m thinking not even poor people (or thrifty people) want your BROKEN stroller (beyond repair). I refused to let Big Daddy take along the Princess’s old play kitchen because it needed wiped down. We make sure all clothes are clean and stain free too. I think the least you can do for someone trying to save a buck is to at least send your clothes off clean (and your strollers unbroken).

Big Daddy is off to pick up a few must haves from the stores and the Princess is packing up the Christmas books. Our tree will be tucked back into it’s box on Sunday. For the first time in a long time, I’m actually READY to take down the tree and return the Christmas goodies to their boxes and spaces in the garage. I’m not sure why as usually I can’t stand the thought of it. I think it’s because of the fresh start we’re trying to make. I’ll tuck away some of the Santa decorations (our nativity, though, will stay up until Jan. 6th. Epiphany. )