Our holiday plant

I love this time of year. Sometimes, though, I wonder if I'm actually a little overzealous in my Christmas cheer. Did anyone watch Grey's Anatomy this past Sunday? Well, I fear I'm Izzie. If you don't get that reference, imagine instead Charlotte from Sex In the City. I know you know what I mean. There's a good chance that my eyes may be a bit too bright for the average person to handle, my tail a tad too bushy...

When I was living with Tina two years ago, we got a huge Christmas tree and had a fun tree trimming party with her mom. Cute, huh? We were roommates while her then-fiancee studied in Chicago for his accelerated M.B.A. I like to brag to Tina's now-husband that I got the chance to be "married" to her before he did. I was practically ready to buy one of those expensive Our First Christmas ornaments from Hallmark to mark the blessed time.

Last year, I didn't have Our Second Christmas, though T&G did invite me to partake in the holiday decorating festivities. I was living in my current place, and I wanted to get a tree then too. However, because Gabe and Court are Jewish, they weren't exactly into the whole Christmas thing; and Blaine wasn't home enough to care one way or another. Since everyone agreed that they wouldn't be offended by such greenery, I picked up a tiny, already decorated, mini pine - carefully avoiding "Merry Christmas" and Santa ornaments - and I placed it on our mantle.

I happily called it our "holiday plant" and was proud of my innovative idea.

Now we're well into the holiday season, and our living room is holiday plant free. Our mantle is currently cluttered with some hair products, a lint remover, a crazy picture Blaine and Gabe took with their hockey team, coasters, a sweet candle, a sperm-shaped stress ball, and a non-decorated fern like plant which looks like it could use some watering.

I'm not sure why I didn't buy another tree to impose my holiday cheer onto my roommates again this year. It all kind of snuck up on me. Between all the traveling and work and craziness of life, I barely had time to notice that the stores were decorated in red and green just after (and some, even before) Halloween.

As I get older, the years seem to pass by faster, and times of celebration seem to get less exciting. I guess no one can hold onto childlike wonder forever. But I hope I never lose my spirit.

It's not too late for me to pick up this year's holiday plant.