A gorge of sorts (oh, and some houses…)

‘Tis the season to gorge on goodies, beverages, delicacies, presents, and decorations, etc.  Wait…why presents and decorations?  I know, I know…gorge, by definition, means fill oneself with food.  Duh…but it’s okay sometimes to stretch thoughts and make words work, right?

As an empty nester, and a woman over the 52-year mark (why not just say 53? …whatever, so I haven’t quite adjusted to 53 yet!), who has her annual physical coming up, gorging on goodies, beverages, and delicacies has been paused for me during the toughest time of year.  I must be “healthy” for the exam so I’ve adopted the self-proclaimed dubious minimalist decorator & skinny jeans diet.

I’m throwing every book at it kind of deal.  And, gorging has been replaced with dedicated daily blogging, photography challenges, and reading books on my new Kindle.  Oh, and, wearing skinny jeans daily.  The subtle, something is touching my legs – everywhere – all day long is great motivation not to gorge!

Yep, I’ve totally digressed (lack of Tostitos and beer might have something to do with it??), but the prompt word of the day is gorge – I had to make it fit somehow, some way.  Kind of like me in skinny jeans!  I’ll get back to describing the diet soon enough (on another day when I’ve seen some success and it fits with the daily prompt word).

Getting back to tieing this post to gorging on decorating and the other challenge theme of the day – Cee’s Black & White Photography Challenge – Houses.

I had grand plans this year to bring out all of our Christmas decorations, empty every box and let our out-in-their-own-apartment kiddos pick their favorites and help me thin the abundant (redundant) crop.

Well…per usual, I aimed a tad bit too high.  I combined this grand idea with Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping, a food-and-beverage hangover, and 4 pairs of skinny jeans purchased for my new “53 and me” look (has nothing to do with the 23 and me thing…but, on second thought, the genes for my jeans might??).

Before I knew it, the kids were here and gone.  We had no time to sort through the biggest boxes of my Dickensville collection.  Who cares, we’re on 9 years and counting since we last decorated with them.  Oh yeah, now I remember – that’s when we got the cats – that’s why we stopped.  Plus it was way too much work to set up and take down.

My, ever-forgiving-me for my crazy ideas, husband carried the boxes back to storage, unopened and untouched, except by the cats for naps when the boxes had sat in the way for several days.  At least they enjoyed the momentary change of scenery.

As the boxes began to disappear for another year, I rescued a few random, don’t belong in the collection, houses to decorate the space where I had intended to display the bigger real-deal collection.  I sandwiched in the nativity crèche between them to make it, you know, more Christmassy.

Must be the 50ish something brain, but dang, I love how I have way more tolerance for imperfection, whimsy and eclectic decorating.  I even added in my childhood Elf on the Shelf – ‘cuz he’s soooooo darn cute.

Before I head out to order another Kindle book, aka, my new gorging habit – here are my black & white entries for the house challenge this week – (the faux snow is to die for don’t ya think…?)

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And this house is 4-in-1!  Spot on right?!

Daily Post Prompt:  Gorge

Cee’s Black & White Photography – Houses