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Monday 3 January 2011

An epiphany


There will come a Christmas when my carefully arranged wooden Father Christmas set will not be jostled out of place by an array of characters including a pony in a plastic car, a cardboard cat, a flowered sea serpent and a Christmas card written to a stuffed bear which was found at a second hand toy sale.

And when that day comes, I may find myself less pleased than I might have imagined.

I have no resolutions about a tidier house. Instead, I need to remember that this house isn't a space that I own. It's a space that I presently share, and all the more wonderful for that.

14 comments:

  1. Your description reminds me somewhat of "Merry Christmas Mr Bean". Did you ever see that, where he is playing with all manner of toys in the Nativity scene? You've just to laugh.
    Have a great day,
    Anne

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  2. I agree. At the moment I strive for a tidy space. I'll probably miss the mess, I'll let you know only 18 months now until mess maker one evacuates the nest.

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  3. Oh, Helen! But as the mess changes, does it get less endearing?

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  4. I think you've found the difference between a house and a home xxx

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  5. I like your Christmas menagerie. Who says a floral serpent didn't visit the manger? Or FC's grotto, for that matter.

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  6. I'm with you 100% ... I share my space with all my incredibly messy multiple personalities ... I'd hate for them to all move out and leave me with my dream flat. I'll take 'home' any day ... Happy N Y

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  7. last year my nativity set was invaded by all sorts of animals and lego and cars...

    At the time it made me a bit cross, but this year, when it didn't happen I felt very sad. It was definitively lacking something.

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  8. Yes. When they are 17 and don't even look twice at your lovingly arranged nativity scene, you will feel bereft.

    Sob.

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  9. My MIL has a tidy house, we have a lived in home. I know where the boys would rather be!

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  10. How true! Although if mine can learn that nativity pieces don't live under sofa cushions...

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  11. so true. It's a lesson that I seem to need reminding on from time to time...

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  12. Well -- it's actually kind of nice when they starting helping to fill the stockings. And I can still get one of them to make artful displays of playmobile xmas figures here and there. And both of them can be counted on to leave dishes all over the house -- so with any luck, even after they go away they will come back now and then to disturb your careful arrangements.

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  13. Here the Backyardigans, Disney princesses and Zhu Zhu pets are cheek to jowl with the lovingly selected and positioned hand-painted German wooden people and creatures. I am slowly becoming less uptight about this, but it has taken a while...

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