When are you planning to decorate for Christmas this year?

[Andybev01]

It was by decree.

[Murfreesboro]

My friends who went to Catholic school had slightly different schedules from me, although the private schools around here do stay fairly close to the public in terms of their breaks. Sometines my Carholic friends would have "Holy Days of Obligation" on their days off, when they were expected to be in church. A private school system can decree what they like about things like that, although I guess they still have to be in session for a certain number of days in order to satisfy state standards.

Summer break is almost a month shorter now than it used to be. When I was a kid we got out in early June and came back around Labor Day. A great many of my summer vacations took place in August. But around here, the kids get out at Memorial Day and return in early August. I've been aware for some time that summer breaks have contracted, and that up North they basically get July and August, while down here we get June and July. Peiple race to vacation in June. Back to school sales start right after the Fourth. So for us, the Fourth of July is the beginning of the end of summer, even though it is of course high summer.

There are a lot more mini breaks now than there used to be, though. Fall break was something my kids got, but I never did. Thanksgiving was Thursday and Friday. We had two or two and a half weeks at Christmas. I think maybe we got Maundy Thursday and Good Friday off, but I'm a little confused about exactly how much time we had, because my mother always took me up to Arkansas for Easter, and it was the one time when she would condone taking me out of school. I know we didn't get Easter Monday off, but Mana always used it as a travel day for us.

We never got civic holidays in Mississippi, although some other states did. I was never out for Columbus Day or Washington's birthday, and of course MLK day didn't exist. When they first introduced that one, what crossed my mind was that Jan 19 was R E Lee day in Mississippi, although we didn't get that day off, either. But state employees did. We used to get two days in March for "teachers' meeting," which I guess was some kind of annual in service for the teachers, sans students.

[Andybev01]

Our summer vacation began memorial day weekend and we went back the Tuesday after labor day.

[Murfreesboro]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I remember, Andy. But as I said, there's been a trade-off. We didn't get all the mini-breaks the kids do now. So maybe it evens out. School could seem like a very long haul for me when I was a kid, even though I was a good student who generally liked school.

By the way, Happy Epiphany! My outdoor Christmas lights will burn tonight for the last time until next December.

[Andybev01]

*sigh*

I took down a lot of indoor stuff today.

My tree is still up, but with lights to chase away the post-season blues.

There's a little village on a ledge above the fireplace in the livingroom, and a few plain wreaths around the house that have another week before I extinguish their lights for another year.

I'm a lapsed catholic but will wish you a happy epiphany as well.

[Murfreesboro]

Well, now I'm into that time when I know the outdoor stuff needs to come down, but the weather doesn't always cooperate. If it's wet, I pretty much have to wait until a sunny day. We've had a very damp weekend. Rainy sometimes, and the air chilly and damp even when it's not raining. I can't put stuff away wet.

[MauEvig]

I know with inflatables if it's wet I like to let them run for a few minutes to dry off.
I think the lights will be fine though.
But I don't like putting stuff away wet either.
It rained yesterday. Barely snowed. I was kind of disappointed. We were supposed to have this intense weather that consisted of a snowy/rain mix with thunder...thundersnow! But...all we got was pitiful rain and a sprinkle of snow that's gone now. A lot of us at work were hoping for a snow day.

[Murfreesboro]

I think I'll be able to get most of it down later today. It's pretty cold right now.

Everybody loves a snow day! We don't get them much in TN. I've yet to see snow this winter, but we usually do get at least one snowfall.

[Andybev01]

Here are the Christmas coalition drying off under the patio awning.

I left the lights in front of the house out, as there is snow n the forecast, and I want to get photos of them glowing at night.

[Murfreesboro]

Omg, that looks like the floats lined up for the Macy's parade!

[Murfreesboro]

Well, I'm glad I got my yard ornaments down yesterday, because it rained all night and all morning, and then it got blustery and chilly. Now it's misting again.

Today I stripped my tree of its ornaments, but I've left the lights on to enjoy throughout the winter.

[Andybev01]

Yesterday I put away a few wreaths and the village went the way of Brigadoon until next year.

[Murfreesboro]

Lol. Love the Brigadoon reference.

There is a cottage in our neighborhood tucked far into a wooded copse. It is at the bend of a road, and the houses on either side of it obscure it, but you can see it clearly on Halloween night when the jack-o-lanterns are lit. I took my daughter back there to ToT once years ago, and I told the owner we had decided her house was Brigadoon, because we could see it only on Halloween. She got a big laugh out of that. Then she spoke to her black cat, called Voodoo. I'm still not quite convinced her house isn't under a spell.

[Andybev01]

Beautiful.

[Andybev01]

From today.

Freezing rain and sleet.

There's about 1 inch of ice on evrything, everywhere.