Wednesday, March 31

And Now For Something Shiny


Christmas is one of the many things that I refuse to acknowledge the existence of - for as long as possible - then somewhere around the 24th of December, my inner Trash Queen smashes through the carapace of my outer Grinch and I go into a frenzy of strewing holly and ivy around on random ledges as a prelude to the rearrangement of my collection of shiny stuff.

At some point in the new year the vegetation rots and I remove it but the shiny things remain until either the dust conceals the shininess* or I'm in a mood to move them around a bit.

Hence, as we approach Good Friday, I am typing this post next to the fairy light net that I installed on 24th December 2002, suspended among the lights are the jewelled Joy and Happiness Angels and a bloody-faced felt wolf in reindeer's clothing that were made by Ange last December.

I'm not the only one to do this obviously; along the Portobello Road is a shop called The Last Place On Earth. Last December I took photos of the owner sticking boxfuls of old gift ribbon bows around his frontage, I thought this was just for Christmas - but no, yesterday morning I passed the shop and saw that now the entire shop front is covered in bows and he has expansion plans up to the next floor!



*the shiny things are then banished to a box - I believe that the dust will drop off after a few years and I will bring them back out and rehang them.


I left the Pop Flat this morning and had a farewell breakfast with Half a Pop Group and The Child. The Child started scratching her head energetically, her mother's face looked horror-stricken, I said

Oh dear what does an itchy head mean?

The Child was triumphant

Nits and I've got curly ones!

26 comments:

  1. nits and ive got curly ones? what a sweetie.

    yairs...so you're a fellow trash kitsch queen. we still have tinsel hanging off an indonesian puppet in the dining room.

    i wish i could have kept the fairy lights but husband refused. i think i must have been marked by a Skinny Hippie Princess at a party i went to when i was 19, she had her flat done out in fairy lights and i thought 'oh yes, thats the THING'. At the time I wanted to BE her, and thought that fairy lights would path the way. i never managed it.

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  2. path the way?

    is that english?

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  3. ewwwwww, nits! just reading the word makes me itchy, sugar! but all that aside, i still have a painted glass mr toad all decked out in christmas colors hanging from the breakfast room chandelier! i love him, the MITM loves him, the coconut krewe loves him and miss daisy hates him! :D
    (yes, i've become that petty and base towards the old gal!) xoxoxox

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  4. I still have my tree and fairy lights up. I'm not sure if that supports your case or not.

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  5. Quentin Crisp's advice to the housewives of England was that after 3 years the dust doesn't get any worse.

    Are you a housewife of England Lulu?

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  6. I once left my Christmas tree up until March. You are indeed a kindred spirit.

    Take a look at my latest blog entry. I've left a little something over there for you.

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  7. So have you now all got nits then? Is medicated shampoo something you've been giving up for lent?

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  8. Screamish - fairy lights are never out of season - they certainly do 'path the way'.

    Sav - a Christmas toad - how wonderful!

    xl - just as I thought - absolutely!

    Inky - I am indeed a Crispesque Housewife of England.

    Scrib - thank you so much for the pompoms, I am beginning to see a trend for year round Christmas decor.

    Gadjo - I do always try and follow the advice given on every box of matches to 'Keep away from Children' The Child tends to bellow at me from the other side of a room - I'm not sure how far nits can jump.

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  9. I just keep the tree up all year and hang a new date on it in December. I just have to pull the old socks and used Kleenex off it. I haven't seen the cat in months.

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  10. Nits! Nits! Where's my ointment?

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  11. Surely it's a "bow window" hahaha!

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  12. It's difficult to take fairy lights down isn't it? They are so relentlessly cheerful... I used to have them wound around objects on my mantelpiece all year... until I moved. I am still looking for somewhere suitable to hang them in the new place.
    Sx

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  13. Murr - I am very resistant to christmas trees, partly because of it's inevitable use as a sock hanger.
    Your cat might have found a human with more mice.

    Hi Circus Monkey - ointment doesn't work you'll need to eat a lot of raw garlic.

    Mrs Cow - hahahaha

    Scarlet - get some of MJ's houseboys to come and stand around at your place, you can drape the lights over them.

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  14. You'd do fine round here. We've got Bretons who have still got their Christmas and Bonne Annnee 2000 signs up. Likewise a lot of the smaller towns don't bother to take down the decorations - they just hang around unlit until December.

    Lazy lot of tossers really - not that you are for a minute.

    x

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  15. *unlit until* look so wrong together

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  16. I love your fairy lights and Ange's wolf in reindeer's clothing!

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  17. I like your attitude re the fairly lights, and that of the shop, as well.

    But, those curly nits make me squeamish.

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  18. Lulu - THIS IS YOUR CHANCE! WHip your camera out and take close ups. The Director doesn't remember what nits look like I'm sure, and this could be a whole new film. ESPECIALLY if they're curly ones!
    Beware the wolf in reindeer clothing... Love

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  19. What lies ahead for your London lodging? I can't wait to hear what's next.

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  20. Frenchie - I'd noticed that about the French - year round street christmas deco - lazy or just economical (or maybe both).

    Nursey - I do too, the net holds up a whole tabbleau of drama the angels are fleeing the Mexican Horseman of the Appocalypse when they run into the wolf.

    Mr Writeon - would it year-round fairy lights and angel catch on round your way?

    Ange - The Director is hunting jaguars in the jungle already - nits can't compete with the things he'll be picking up.

    K - London is now a distant memory - new places are looming ahead of me.

    25bar - Happy Easter to You!

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  21. I had always been diligent about removing all Christmas decorations until my son, who puts them up, became taller than me. Now I have all sorts of dust ridden glittery stuff above the doorways and on top of paintings. One day I'll get myself a step-ladder.

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  22. It has been pointed out to me that I still have my Xmas lights up at work. I have pointed out that at work it is Xmas every day.

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  23. Eryl - with any luck the dust will make them sag enough for you to reach.

    Kevin - I like your attitude there

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  24. Yes, well I guess Jaguar fleas have something to be envious of. Just whacked a nit shampoo on Pokemon this evening... Sigh, spring is 'hair!'

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  25. eeeuw that crack is pun-ishable by death Ange

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