Last week I started one of my demo garden/design talks with a story about tradition. We tend to take the acts that make traditions so meaningful for granted at times.  One of my favorite traditions is decorating for holidays–like Halloween. I began my Halloween decorating fun when the kids were small. Friendly ghosts, all the cute inflatables we could afford. The tackiest house on the block! Now that we’ve approached the teen years, I have a bit more fun with Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. I am the first one in line at Michael’s with arms full of black birds and crows!
A couple of years ago, I decided it would be okay to have an “adult” Halloween–corn stalks, mums and a few pumpkins at the front door. About a week before Halloween, Marianna said, “Mother, when are you going to decorate for Halloween?” That moment cemented the fact that my decorating meant something. All the years of climbing ladders, hanging lights, tying bows- it really matters.
So if you’re trying to decide if it matters to your college freshman whether or not you have a tree or a wreath, it does! Get up on that ladder, girl.
see you
ML
You know, ML, the same thing happened to me only last week. In thinking ahead this Christmas, I had decided to scale back. Mentally I said no wreaths in the windows, no tree in the rec room, etc. Then, the very next day our two eldest came to me (at different times) and asked when are we going to decorate outside and put up the tree in the rec room. They DO notice! They DO appreciate! Needless to say, tree in rec room is decorated and wreaths are going up this weekend.
Traditions are our memories,makes us who we are,inside & out.Merry Christmas to you & yours.A very happy & healthy New Year.God bless you always♥**♥**♥
Thank you, Ingrid. Merry Christmas to you too! See you ML
Very timely – I was sinking into Oscar mode. This was the first year our daughter was not with us for Thanksgiving dinner and just announced that she would also be at her boyfriends home for Christmas lunch (although with us Xmas eve). That left just three of us.
Would be 19 year old son really care if I didn’t bother with the tree? Would he notice anything (except what there was to eat)?
I have a great excuse with drywall dust filling the air as our remodel continues. We’ll have a snow effect for sure!
Thanks to you – on our next dry day I’ll head to the barn to find the tree and decorations. It’s my gift to them – whether they notice or not.
Karen.
Love this gift to your almost grown children! You are a wonderful mother. see you. ML
Dear Mary Louise, After a couple of days of rest and work on my book proposal I have to begin the decorating. My daughter arrives next Monday from New York and I want the house to look and smell amazing. Then Dave’s
daughter arrives from Brazil and she is a Christmas groupie. Before she leaves our oldest friends arrive from Iowa and they will be happy we are still decorated. Everyone notices and feels you are slipping if you don’t get it all done. One year we decided to leave the tree on the upper landing (next to where we store it) and everyone looked at us as if we were mad, not just too lazy to haul it downstairs. XO