it's SO not Christmastime anymore

Try as I may to get my sorry ass self over it, I experience a tremendous let down the week following Christmas.

Each of the seven days leading up to January 1 of the next year leaves ChristmasHolidayTime further and further behind. As it should. But so quickly?!?!? It's only been a few days post, and holiday decor looks faded and dated. 'Fast away the old year passes'. Indeed. Faster than the Nike Whooooooosh. It is OVER, baby. Collect your toys from under the tree, find a place to stash 'em in the already crowded closets and start vacumning up those dried pine needles from the floor.
(Though this year, I'm amazed at how my tree still feels and looks fresh at this late date. More so since I bought it early, and from a Christmas tree lot, yet. So no spent pine needles for me.)

Nope.
Post Christmas week is NOT my favourite time.

Maybe it's how that magical spiritual sweet feeling of good will towards
man/woman/child/allcreaturesgreatandsmall goes bye-bye and seems to make such a sickening metamorphosis into a
WhooooooHoooooo Party Animal Wild Drinkin' Adults Only atmosphere . . . just in time for a Rollicking New Year's Eve.
Hmmmmm.

Another personal effort then, must be made to counter the media madness to do the expected and instead ride off into the sunset Doin' My Own Thing.

Here then, is the encouraging bit.

Our (somewhat established) New Year's Day tradition usually rescues me from a true post holiday letdown. Traditionally, that's the day to go for a long quiet walk with family and/or friends. Fortunately, we've always lived near enough to the ocean or the woods, and can take advantage of that by ushering in the new year, properly nurtured, by nature. Wide expanses of beach and ocean. Big waves. Tall trees. Snow on the ground. Dampness and cold, with a promise of hot tea or cocoa - and a fire in the woodstove upon our return.

So thank you very much awreddy. For small favours. Nature walks. Getting cold only to be warmed again.