Today, I FINALLY got all the ornaments off the tree and packed away. Even the Santa's are back in their boxes to wait until next year. Now all we have in the living room is a tree with lights on it. The kitties will be able to enjoy sitting under it for a day or so longer, I imagine, as Dick will have to take the lights off an disassemble the tree.

I will here share with you my brother Matt's poem about Christmas.

CHRISTMAS IS OVER

christmas is over again
it won't be back for another year
the lights have been taken down
santa claus went back to the toy factory
so we can all fight each other
with a clear conscience once more

Matthew, as you can see from this poem, did not believe in capital letters or most punctuation for that matter. He had a very cynical view of life. I do not really share that.

Tonight, we "took down Christmas" in church also. We put away the trees and wrapped and stored the ornaments and the creche and the wreaths and garland. We will enjoy the pointsettias a bit longer and leave up the red and gold on the back altar.

To get back to Matthew's poem, one of my friends, Ione Gregoire, said that she always leaves one Christmas decoration out to remind her to keep the joy and love of Christmas in her All year round and not let it fly away at Christmas. I think I will take her example to heart. Now, what should I bring back out? Perhaps, Grandma Bowser's little Nativity scene.

Be happy.

We may have snow by the end of the week.

Mary