So You Think It's Too Early For a Tree?

I think I'm getting cranky in my old age.. take today as an example. I knew when I put up the Christmas tree in the library that I'd have all the naysayers talking..."It's way too early"...."It isn't even Thanksgiving"...."I hate it when Christmas is rushed." But I try to do a different tree every year and it takes quite a while to come up with a "theme" and make all the decorations. Plus, take out a week for Thanksgiving and we only get to enjoy the tree about three weeks.

We recycle our ornaments and use tons of stuff from Dollar Tree. Let's see, we've had a candy cane tree, a snowflake and gold tree, a purple and copper woodland animal tree, a candyland tree (my favorite) and this year a plaid primitive tree. If I can locate pictures I will explain how we managed to dress them with relatively little cost. I also think you'd enjoy knowing how we used the different components from $ Tree.

I come up with my theme a year in advance, that way when everything goes down to 75% off...I'm the first in line. I've been known to mow down grown men who dare to reach for something I've hidden on a previous scouting trip in the store. Once a lady thought she was getting the last teddy bear music box oven (a bear jumps on the door, opens it and a little cake is inside all the while it's playing carols.)....but I'd been hunkered down in line outside in the cold for over an hour. "I think NOT," I thought and guess what? I was right. I would have made a defensive line coach proud. That's what I mean...cranky and a little brash in my old age.

Well, today, I was ready for all the naysayers. When I arrived at school, I went to my desk and sat down (for the only time all day except for a Subway at 2:00) and neatly printed a little sign.
I folded it and put it in my pocket.

I began the decorating process with my two library aids...both males and as much as I like them....they make the bull in a china shop look graceful. We "took out" (as in smashed) a huge fluorescent light bulb before the 8:15 bell, dropped an oscillating fan that I had them direct the air flow at me because I was sweating bullets, and was caught sticking paperclips into the cord socket trying to dig out the blown fuses...that was before one of them stepped on a string of lights, crunching them flat. But I got a full period's work out of both of them. Bless their hearts. Back to the story at hand...

Things went pretty well until a well meaning principal that harasses me every year about putting up the tree early happened by. "Here he comes," I thought. I was ready this year...
"It's only November 15," he said looking at his watch, "and you are already putting up the tree. I think it's way too early!"

"Really?" I retorted. "Well, guess what?" I said. I slid my hand into my pocket, pulled out my note (which BTW was used several times today), opened it and flashed it at him just like a flash card. It read, " I REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!" with a smiley face at the end of the sentence. I ceremoniously whirled around and walked back to my task. I heard him laugh as I drove out of sight...oh, no I'm sorry I'm getting that last phrase confused with another Christmas story...