Today They Come Down

We are not the sort of family to leave Christmas decorations up for long. The tree and trimmings came down on New Years, and we even removed the outside lights in mid January - taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather.

Different rules apply to the Chrismas cards - with pictures. Those we keep on display until (at least) Valentine's Day. We enjoy seeing everyone's pictures on the closet door - and removing them with all the other Christmas stuff in early January just seems wrong.

The trick is making sure the cards are stored with the Christmas stuff - which we've alread stashed away in our little storage area near the attic. Each year is kept in a large manila envelope marked "Chrismas 20XX". If we were really creative, we would think of something crafty to do with all those old pictures - and letters. For now they remain in the Crosson-Gisselquist Archives for future generations to enjoy.