Get Christ The Hell Out of Xmas
Thaddeus and I typically spend our xmas celebrating time at the houses of various family members, so we don’t usually go to the trouble of setting up a xmas tree. This year, Thaddeus somehow got inspired, and we did some decorating.
Inspired By Frugality and Kitsch
Earlier this year, Thaddeus found one of those ’60’s or ’70’s aluminum xmas trees at the local flea market and bought it for sentimental reasons, and because it only cost US$15. His thought was that it would make a perfect outdoor decoration on our small front porch, and also satisfy the xmas tree requirement.
He knew that the tree would be less than beautiful without one of those lovely “color wheels” to light it, so he scavenged eBay until he found this beauty.
So, now that outside of our house looks like this.
Or this.
You get the idea.
Current Knitting
I finished the first sleeve, as expected and now I’ve started just the very beginnings of the second sleeve.
Of course, no pictures…but I really haven’t had a lot of knitting time. Work at this time of year is all about holiday outings and the like, so I’ve been busy during normal knitting times.
Irrelevant Question of The Day
How is that the cost of those GPS devices
Readers’ Comments/Questions
Leslie writes, “Great Kitty Pron – your second or third calling could be as a “Glamour Shot” photog for felines.”
Actually, Thaddeus took that diva-like picture of Nico. He has an excellent eye for that kind of thing.
Calamity Rach asks, “What did you think about Clinton saying that students in Iowa shouldn’t be allowed to caucus because that should be reserved for citizens and taxpayers of that state?”
I didn’t read or hear about this, so I’ll have to google it to find out what happened. On its face, it seems like a ridiculous thing to say, and I guess even my idols are able to make mistakes.
Regarding the Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat, Tricky Tricot writes, “Just got the email from Ted that this was definitely on – I’ll absolutely certainly be there and am so looking forward to this! When do you suggest we book our rooms by?”
There has been a significant amount of interest in this event, and a handful of guys have already booked their rooms for the retreat. As of now, there is only one other event slated for that weekend on Easton, and availability of rooms is plentiful. However, they book events all the time, and if a particularly popular event gets scheduled, it might get more difficult to book. So I guess the answer to your question is that I have no idea. To be safe I would definitely book at the latest in January (Personally, I’m a lousy person to ask about this stuff…I get nervous, so I’ve already booked my room).
Now all you need are those bubbling candle lights from the
50s so they can explode and the glass will fly and blind some poor inocent neighbor and the noxious liquid that was inside will flame up and burn down your house.
I am sure Thaddeus can find some on ebay.
Liza
Oh, yes, that would indeed be a festive Yuletide experience.After that, Nico could eat some tinsel garland and you could celebrate xmas by sitting in the vet emergency room waiting for the tinsel to come out of his bum.
Liza’s just jealous because she’s a Hannukah.
Hey, wait. I have one of those bubbling candle lights from the 50’s.
It’s red and green and brings holiday cheer to my kitchen.
OMG, I hope bill o’reilly doesn’t see today’s blog title…LOL
my aunt had an aluminum tree and a color wheel in the late 60s. she kept it in her living room, along with the huge sunburst clock on the wall and yes, those damn bubble lights everywhere.
(makes me wanna hurl just thinking about it)
*envy* That’s EXACTLY what I wanted this year – treelike and yet with that little touch of irony. Lucky you, clever Thadeus.
I just wanted to thank you for “The Gentle Art of Domesticity” recommendation. I LOVE it! Absolutely love it. At 11:59pm I will finish my last paper for my last class for my last degree. And then, dear sir, with a cup of hot chocolate (liberally doused with Bailey’s of course) I will enjoy the few pages I have not read and then, I will read it all over again.
What a great Christmas present! A immediately favorite book that I’ll read again and again and again.
http://www.jacquieknits.com
Amen. Pass the martinis.
I am sitting here in a wave of nostalgia. My grandmother had a tree just like that. With a color wheel just like that. She always put it up in the “parlor” and decorated it with crocheted snowflakes done in teeny tiny cotton thread and starched.
Ooooooh. Ahhhhhh.
There’s a shop here in town that you can get those trees and color wheels. I love driving by their window.
As for cheap GPS, I think it’s the gadget of the year this year. All I see are ads for the darn things.
My favorite Xmas nostalgia item is tinsel icicles, so your cat can eat it off the tree and crap silver for a month …
hi joe,
about those gps prices –
it’s total market saturation. they built millions of those things, which are now on sale at deep discount. they can’t give ’em away.
there just aren’t that many people who want to know exactly where they stand.
wendy
I love shiny aluminum Christmas trees! I have one too, I put it up in my office because the cats like to steal the branches off of it. Careful, those color wheels get really hot!
The memories! Yes, I remember when they were the really hot thing…and even a little music box thingy that would play tinkli-ish carols while the tree revolved. Love it but gag too. Thaddeus needs to find one of those for next year. Yes? And I the only one who remembers completely flocked trees in baby blue or pink? super gag.
GPS? What’s the fun of that? It takes all the adventure out of getting lost, which I do very well.
Joe, if you really want to get the “Christ” out of Christmas, you need to opt for yule, because the X is just an initial for the Greek letter chi, or X. And the “-mas” is shortened form of “mass” which i expect is self explanatory. Generally, i enjoy your blog, but i’m a bit offended by today’s tite. Sorry, dear.
-Kit