We have not for some years now, used to do inside and out side excessively. No more climbing on the roof and untangling many strings of lights.

I decorate the whole office pretty elaborately. I wrap the walls and ceiling tiles as well as the file cabinets and even the fridge. I clip twinking icicle lights to the ceiling and put christmas knick knacks on every available surface.But not my house. I don't have any kids and it seems rather pointless. At least at work hundreds of people will see it and enjoy it. At home it would just be me and my SO who is a certified fuddy duddy and would not care about such things.

Four cats make it futile to put out a lot of decorations, look out any of my windows and you see trees and grass and Nature, she decorates well. I have a few objects representative of the season, that's enough.

A wreath with a couple of pine cones and a red bow at the front door and a ca. 7 ft tree in the living room. We never overdecorated but the family coming on Christmas Eve would be disappointed if we had no tree. For some unknown reason, none of our cats over the year bothered the tree but liked to sleep under it. On the other hand, a dachshund we had, decapitated the Three Kings in the creche under the tree with her tail.

I used to have six or seven cats in the past, non of them ever messed with the tree, but, like Anneliese said, they wold curl up under it. I gave up on the silver tinsel though, two good sized dogs would decorate their rails with it and it would be all over the house, not on the tree.

The kids are all grown and I don't do a lot of cooking, cleaning and decorating these days. I miss doing it all. I really do. Christmas was my favorite time of the year. I loved the candlelight service at church . The tacky lights in neighborhoods where car loads of people line up for miles to see them. I loved all the decorated houses especially my own. The tables with all my collection of little trees. I had fun and I loved doing those things for my family.

My grandson just married a wonderful young woman that loves to do all those things. She wants to come and help me put my tree up and I am thinking I may take her up on her offer.

I am loving catching up with y'all.

Thank you for posting.

Jan

Yea, we still decorate. but we have downsized over the years. Now we have it streamlined to one box of "stuff", We still have all our old decorations, linen, dishes etc, and if I felt like it I could still set a great table.

Janis, on Thanks giving, DD and GS came to visit, they brought all the food and fixings, did the cooking and cleaned up everything. They even served me my dinner. It was very nice.

Go for the offer of help to decorate.

My cats have bothered my tree for years. This year, with a real tree and a huge stand, not a thing is missing, played with or even close to destroyed?! I'll take it. And since my boy is 16 and will go away to university soon, I'll decorate to the nines. I love leaving for work/home this time of year. Most people don't like the dark, but how else you gonna see Christmas light displays?

I can't believe little feller is all grown up. Does he get to drive your car?

My brother gave him a car, and he still doesn't drive. It's a 1996 Acura Integra. It's in pretty good shape even. He doesn't have his learner's permit. I've been trying since he was 14 to begin thinking about it. First, he refused, saying "I ride the bus everywhere". Then, it got too busy; his school is highly demanding. But I am going to put my foot down soon. He has to learn and practice before he goes away too far ;)

it looks just like this except small scratches and the wheels aren't as nice. But close. Same color, style, moonroof, etc.

Katrina did that. She was the only senior that still had her mom drive her to school.

She didn't care either. She just wasn't interested in driving. Nice car by the way.

If only it wasn't purple ;) I'm sure a boy doesn't want a purple car, even if he is secure in his masculinity!

I have to admit, I was the same. Why drive when your mom, boyfriend, and classmates will drive you everywhere? It's a lot cheaper. And Nashvilleans cannot drive. At. All. Worse than Atlanta!