"Tis Nothing New

  I took a few moments today to stick up some of the Christmas decorations.  Yep, I am slacking!  The Little Bayou House should have been bedecked long ago but somehow that just did not happen. Today, however, I made progress even though the tree is still not in its rightful place all adorned with lights and ornaments.  Some day soon, I hope. What did occur to me was that, as I tied a big bow to the garland on the stair rail, is that nothing is new.  A few weeks ago, Darling Daughter and I visited one of our local stores and we were both amazed at how burlap has become all the rage.  Burlap and canvas...well, who would have thought?!  I admit that I did buy several rolls of printed burlap ribbon.  After all, it is ribbon!  Who can resist buying Christmas ribbon?  
  
  While digging around in the decoration boxes, I came to two conclusions.  One..that I own far too many doodads that scream holidays and, two..most of my decorations are at least thirty years old! Some are far older as it seems that I inherit every aunts', parents' and grandparents' decorations.  I cannot part with them.  That just seems like sacrilege!  What would my kinsfolk think if I just tossed their prizes to the wayside??

  It was in that box that I came across several short strands of garland that I bought when my oldest was just a wee babe some thirty-plus (and we won't go there!) years ago.  The stringing for the garland was jute, burlap Santas and fabric scrap Christmas Trees were dotted at six inch intervals.  I loved this garland and used it in the kitchen for years!  But I was a bit bemused as the current rage for burlap seemed to be nothing more than a repeat of Christmases past.  Long, long ago, it was not uncommon to use what was on hand whether it be for everyday items or happy decorations.  I can remember wearing dresses that Mom sewed out of flour sacks and having curtains made from the same pattern. (It was pretty neat to be able to blend in with the draperies!)  I made dolls from corn husks and pine needles and used jute string, burlap and canvas for everything!  It was cheap!  As matter of fact, all of those things were free for the taking.  On the farm, those items were always on hand.

  The Little Bayou House is decorated with pine limbs, cones and burlap ribbon.  Homemade ornaments are stashed in bowls and boxes as they await their place on the tree.  Wooden toys, hand-sewn calico gingerbread men dangle from threads in the kitchen windows and paper snowflakes swing happily from a garland of jute string.  Yep, there is nothing new about the decorations.  Nostalgia is good during the holidays.  It takes us all home.