am i a scrooge?

i haven't put up any Christmas decorations. after thanksgiving, i told myself i could take a week or so and recover from the delicious turkey and other scrumptious yummies. plus our first born son had his b-day the day before so we were recovering from his festivities as well.

during this past 10 days tho, i haven't been in a christmas-y mood. i've seen alot of Christmas joy on other blogs and it delights my heart, but i haven't wanted to participate. which is totally unlike me! Christmas is my fav time of year. but i'm still battling the depression that's been lurking under the covers of my life. so while i deal with that, i've given myself permission to not do all the Christmas stuff we (i) usually do. and you know what? it is sooooooooooooo FREE-ING!!! i don't feel the heavy burden to do a "martha stewart" holiday this year. i have no plans for baking a multitude of goodies, i have 3 snowmen i may put up somewhere, i dug out my Christmas cd's and that's enough for me. we've been watching Christmas specials on tv, and i've been enjoying the decorations when we go out and about, but i have no desire to spend time, energy and perhaps money to make my place a showpiece for the 3 of us.

we aren't having anyone over this year and we are going back home for the holidays. so we wont' be here to open gifts under a tree so we don't even have a tree up. my son has special needs and is totatlly fine with this, my husband is vision impaired and doesn't see alot anyway so hasn't mentioned the lack of decorations, and i'm fine with it too. i'm not saying that i will do this every year, but for this year it's OK. it feels weird. but it feels like a load has been lifted too.

with the new found time and energy, i am sewing up little gifties for friends and family to take with us on our trip. i am enjoying the calm bits of time i can carve out in front of my sewing machine. i am not frantic with anxiety wondering if i'm going to get everything done. it is relaxing at my house as i'm not stressing out my husband with my long to-do list.

most of all i'm really glad that this year, our Christmas will be all aboutcelebrating Christ's birth with family and friends we will see, visit, and fellowship with while we are back in WA. a simple holiday celebrating the real reason for the season with loved ones. and if that makes me a scrooge, the so be it! Merry Christmas!