Songs of snow and letting go of Christmas

Was taking down the tree as hard for you as it was for me?

As glad as I was to remove the clutter, I wanted to see the house lit up a few more nights with icicly lights and multi-lit door garlands.

But I wasn't done yet with Christmas. The tree had just begun to make the house smell wonderful. I guess it was too fresh when we first got it.

So I un-decorated it while I watched the Pasadena Rose

Parade like I do every year. It's my personal tradition that

 none of the males in the family care to join me in.







Although hubby did help with the tree, he was not

so interested in the types of leaves, petals, beans,

roses, seeds and other natural materials used to

decorate the beautiful floats of my home state.




Then there were a few songs and sights that I just hadn't had enough of; like the piney camp scent on my clothes after our backyard Christmas Eve fire pit under the twinkle of Orion, sky clear with satin black backdrop.

Like the sight of snow - which I only viewed on the ever running "White Christmas" on AMC.

And  the video my sister-in-law took while sledding in Idlywild California, steering with her feet  going 35 mph down her snowy street with a bunch of neighborhood 'boys' (aka grown men).

Take a ride with her here and have fun wipin' out at the end, eyes to the clouds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB-Oe9dMrqY

And my new favorite Christmas Song by Audrey Assad called Winter Snow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpHiAmL8-b0

I wasn't done giving either. Sad to say, there are still boxes to mail. But on New Year's day, I ran down the street like a fool after the trash truck to give the trash man a bag of Christmas candy.  Thanking him for picking up my trash and recyclables all year long.

I'm not the only one who could do with more season cheer. I noticed a tree in someone's living room while bike riding the other night. There are lights and garland still adorning a house two doors down.

So let Christmas linger. Let those lazy winter vacation days, satiated with food and too-much-chocolate-days, full of family-embrace days live on. Let the lights twinkle in your eyes through Valentine's, the giving continue till well past summer.

I guess I don't have to be done with Christmas after all.