Ashes, ashes

I hate to break this to everyone, but last night I took down my Christmas tree.

Today it is Lent, for Pete's sake. Comes a time. That is what I said last night.

Still I felt nostalgic. You were a good tree, I said to the tree as I stripped it of its lights and ornaments. You went the distance. Look at you, you good, pretty tree. You are not even losing your needles!

Ha, ha! I cannot believe I found this on YouTube.

But back to my Christmas tree. I am serious. The tree's bowl was bone dry and had been for a couple of weeks. And still it lost just a few needles. Other years, I have had trees I gave royal treatment to and took down within a reasonable length of time and they made an ugly exit, with showers of needles.

This tree was noble. Howard was at the piano and played the tree out with dignity, with "The Christmas Song."

Now it is Ash Wednesday, easily my least favorite day of the year. Except, well, there is that ancient and powerful Ash Wednesday ceremony which I find thrilling. So there is that.

I just wish it were not Lent.

Oh well. I will tell you this, one thing I am not going to give up for Lent is griping and complaining. Pennario and I used to have a joke about that, that we were the world's champion complainers. I take this championship seriously. So, a Lenten gripe to begin the season.

Why are all the stores pushing Easter candy on me already?

Hello! It is not like Christmas where the fun starts early (technically it should not, but that battle was lost long ago). We have six long and grim weeks before it is Easter. If you bring out the bunnies now you are missing the point.

By the time we get to Easter, all these Peeps, preservative-laden though they be, are going to be stale.

Oh well. (You know it is a rough day when you keep saying "Oh well.")

I will look on the bright side.

They will probably also be marked down!