We spend a couple months every year getting ready for Christmas.

I start by getting my outside lights put up while the weather is still fairly warm. I have a tall purple martin birdhouse pole in the back of our property. I take down the birdhouse, clean it, and store it in the shed. Then, I take the pole to the front yard and plant it in the base I have permanently prepared for it. This is the stand for our outside lights.

I have eight long strands of colored light which I fasten to the top of the pole. I spread them out in different directions, then raise the adjustable pole about 12 feet tall.

I fasten the base of the strands in the ground and begin plugging the electric cords into two weatherproof outlets. I run a long extension card across the front of the house and into the garage where I can plug it in. I hang a lighted wreath on the front porch and my outside work is done. Since I don’t do ladders any more, I quit putting up gutter lights.

Around Thanksgiving, Susie starts moving furniture around to make room for her Christmas village and the tree. First she has to move all of the house plants to various places around the house. (My plants get relegated to the back room where there is no light and I try to keep them alive for six weeks.) Small chairs and end tables which are not needed get carried to the motorhome which is also known as “winter storage”. One large chair is moved to the back room so I can sit and watch the football games on the old TV while the family watches the parades on the big screen.

Next, I get to climb the steps to the attic and start bringing down all the boxes of village pieces and the Christmas tree and ornaments.

I sit at the top of the steps and hand the boxes down for Susie to catch.

Her job is then to put all of the village pieces in the living and dining room.

The tree and ornaments go up next. All of the empty boxes go back up in the attic.

Early January sees a reverse of the above chores.

Empty boxes come back down.

The village pieces get carefully replaced in their containers.

Ornaments come off the tree and are stored in specially made boxes to protect them for another year.

Then, I get to climb up into the attic again while Susie hands the boxes up to me. If we are really lucky, our grandson or his dad will be around and can do the attic climbing while I watch.

The furniture is replaced where it belongs, chairs carried in from the motorhome, and the plants which are still alive regain their place in the sun.

Susie then tells me it’s time to put the new Christmas presents someplace other than the living room.

I start by hanging three new calendars. A monthly one goes on the door between the kitchen and the family room. This one gets all of the doctor appointments and other assorted dates to be remembered.

On the side of the refrigerator, I hang the year-at-a-glance calendar. This is the one where all of our trips are listed. It has to be checked before anything else gets scheduled.

A third calendar gets fastened to the door of my computer cabinet. This one is where all of the deadlines for various publications are highlighted. This is very important. It’s also important because I write when I need to send my invoices to these sources so I can get paid for my writing.

The rest of my Christmas presents get stored in my room or my closet until I can put them where they should actually be.

Those jobs are done for another 11 months. Now, all I have to do is feed the birds, write stories on my computer, and stay busy in the kitchen.

When the ground thaws and the temperature goes up, I can get outside swinging my metal detector.

Rich Creason is an award-winning outdoors and travel writer whose work has appeared in local, regional, national and international publications for 40 years. Born in Anderson, he is a graduate of Markleville High School. He lives in South Madison County with his wife, Susie. He may be contacted at [email protected].