Pause

With Halloween being hallowed a full month ago, and the regrets of stuffing ourselves full of…well, stuffing (and turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes and pie…and…and…) have come and gone, it seems the full steam of Christmas is upon us.

Only, I’m not ready just yet. I’d like a pause button. Or maybe an option to pass. Something to make this next month come and go without anyone noticing that my husband and I just weren’t around for the festivities. We’d like to hide away until January, licking our grieving souls, decidedly not pretending to be jolly or merry. Not decking our halls, trimming our trees, silvering our bells. (Woah, what a typo could have done to THAT sentence!!!)

Since the opt out button doesn’t seem available – we do have kids, and eventually a tree in my living room might not sound like a complete nuisance – we’ll take a pause button. No decorating for a few weeks. Little to no shopping until next week (ignoring the fiscal need to wait – ugh). Christmas will come on December 25 like it does every year, but really? Do we need an entire month of it? No, we do not. And we will not. Guilt free.

Today, we took our first pause, ignoring all of the updates of our friends and families telling us about all of their decorations and shopping finds, and went to the park. It’s stark out there right now. But still, beautiful.

Slate Run Park, Canal Winchester, Ohio

Frankly, it sort of epitomized our moods. Quiet. Stark. The necessities of life continuing on. A little bit of color. A little bit of humor. Promises of a new season once this one wears out its welcome.

Still a little color left in the woods

All the single ladies...put your ass up!

And through it all, paused and wintery and dismal, they keep morality on the up and up.

You may harass your children or your mate, but do NOT harass the wildlife

Normally I’m not one for the out-of-doors if it’s not lush and green and blue-skied and sunny. But, the trip today lifted my spirits in a most subtle way. No, I’m not ready to put Christmas candles on my piano top yet. No, I’m not even ready to start baking. I’m not ready to put my Christmas playlist on my iPod or to wrap presents, plan meals or god forbid – shop. I shiver at the thought of shopping.

But, I am ready to enjoy my final evening of Thanksgiving break with my hubby and son. To snuggle up on the couch and eat another piece of pumpkin pie. To look forward to a concert-filled week and frankly, a week where I don’t have to come up with blogging ideas every day. And I’m ready to at least admit that yes, Christmas is coming. And yes, I’ll be there. But no – not just yet.

And yes, that’s okay.