Decorations Down

The Twelve Days of Christmas having concluded yesterday, I'm taking down the decorations today. Tree ornaments lovingly wrapped and boxed and put away, tree out the door, leaving a trail of pine needles to be swept, the wreath from the door hung on its nail in the attic and covered with an old cloth, the nutcrackers replaced in their boxes, the candles in the windows likewise, the stockings from the hearth folded and put away, mine and my husband's, the cats', my grandparents', my dad's...

And the lighted ceramic wreath Dad painted (with lots of help) last year, his last known work of art, unplugged and folded in tissue paper and put away.

And this year, for the first time, I'm glad. It feels like some sort of relief.

All that remains is the bayberry candle because William Weedon recommended them (sort of) and thought they smelled like Christmas. Not particularly, to me; I don't have the same associations. Still, I am enjoying that candle!