Spruce Truce

Hello Darlings!

This is just going to be a mini blog today...a blogette if you wish!

It's been a busy week here at Merryweather Towers and I'm really looking forward to the weekend. The heating still isn't fixed (3 weeks!), and I'm still wrapped up to keep warm. The other morning number 2 son remarked that it was warmer outside than in, and he was right!!!

Number one son has just taken some photos of me for my Christmas Profile pic. He's done a pretty good job too, although he did tell me "not to look so mad". I can see what he meant I do look like I've been at the sherry in a few of them! I can't help looking so happy, I absolutely LOVE Christmas, I'm like a child I'm so excited!

Mr Merryweather wears the "sensible trousers" here at Merryweather Towers, he usually keeps me reigned in, which is just as well, because if I had my way the Christmas tree would be up already! The problem is that I'm fiercely protective and possessive of the tree, no-one else is allowed to touch it, drape tinsel or even hang a bauble, as they'd make it look messy.

Most trees look like someone has held open a box of decorations over the tree and then sneezed, allowing everything to stay where it landed! Decorating a tree properly is a skill and for me it's a labour of love. I constantly have to fight the urge, when I go to visit friends and family, to re-dress badly decorated trees. When they proudly say "the children decorated it this year" I have to bite my tongue to stop saying "yes it bloody looks like it!" It's like looking at a crooked picture, it drives me insane!

Now regular readers of my blogs (over at The Merryweather Gazette) will know how much I adore my boys and will have rightly guessed that our house has always been festooned with their drawings and the odd shaped pieces of pottery they've made at school and brought home. I spent hours with them cutting, painting and making little cardboard trees out of loo roll tubes and then covering them in glitter, I loved doing it and we proudly displayed them for all to see. However my achilles heel came into play when it was time to decorate the tree. Not only did the boys want to help, they wanted to hang their own handmade decorations on it too!

For me the torture was unbearable. I couldn't stand to see my tree "ruined" by their works of art. So I became devious Mummy. I told them how lovely their decorations were. I also said that because they were so special I didn't want to lose them if a draught blew through the house and knocked them off the tree. Therefore, for safety (because they really were my favourite decorations), I'd hang them round the back! They believed me and so everyone was happy!.......I feel quite ashamed now.

On Monday morning I shall take out the tree and decorate it. It usually takes about 4 hours, so I'll put on some Christmas music and sing at the top of my voice as I work. The difference this time is that I've decided to kick my OCD tendencies into touch by calling a truce on where each decoration must go. I shall put up the lights, attach the little red bows, drape the tinsel and hang the baubles. I've still got the boys little handmade decorations, they're quite sweet really, and I'm going to make sure that they go on the tree as well.

This year I will hang them with pleasure and they will be taking Pride of Place ..... at the back ..... well I wouldn't want to lose them would I?

OOoodles of Big Ones

Madame Merryweather
(www.myspace.com/dawntebbutt)
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