Christmas time is here again. Tis the season for celebrating old traditions. Around this blog, that means dusting off posts of Christmas past, posts that are more stale than re-gifted fruitcake. Enjoy.
Little Red Hen taking care of Christmas business.
Once upon a time, Little Red Hen lived in a cozy little coop with her happy little family. It was Christmas time and she thought some decorations would add to their holiday joy.
So Little Red Hen bought some eggnog and cookies, got her favorite Bing Crosby Christmas CD a-playin’ and settled in for some holiday memory-making.
“Who will help me set up the tree?” she asked.
“Not I”, said the rooster.
“Not I”, said the first chickee.
“Not I”, said the second chickee.
“Then I will do it myself,” said Little Red Hen. And so she did.
Amidst a considerable amount of swearing. Little Red Hen developed tree burns and little cuts on her wings from wrestling the 9-foot tall, artificial tree out the box, putting it all together and fluffing the scratchy branches.
“Who will help me put all the lights on the tree?” she asked.
“Not I”, said the rooster.
“Not I”, said the first chickee.
“Not I”, said the second chickee.
“Then I will do it myself,” said Little Red Hen. And so she did.
With nobody to hand the strings of lights to, she was up and down the ladder at least 26 times. All the lights worked when she tested them, but half of the strands went out as soon as they were all plugged together.
“Who will help me put all the ornaments on the tree?” she asked.
“Not I” said the rooster.
“Not I”, said the first chickee.
“Not I”, said the second chickee.
“If you think I’m doing any more decorating without any help from you selfish, lazy slobs” said Little Red Hen, “you’re crazy!” She burst into tears and took off for the mall with a squeal of tires.
The rooster and the 2 little chickees turned off the Bing Crosby CD and finished off all the cookies and eggnog while watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
And the half-decorated tree and 3 big boxes full of ornaments are still sitting in the middle of the living room floor to this very day.
The End.
Peg-o-Leg's Ramblings 
I think the room looks festive that way. That’s the look I’m going to go for this year, too. You are an inspiration, Little Red Hen/Peg!
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And you can use the big ornament boxes as extra seating, Elyse – it’s all good!
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Perfect!
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Sounds like when I’m baking the Christmas cookies, back aching after standing for hours, clothes covered in flour. Where is my family? Nowhere to be found. Until the cookies come out of the oven, that is. Then they scurry right in…
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They DO scurry right in like little mice when those baked goods appear, don’t they?
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Squeak squeak.
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Yup. And that’s why as of today, I STILL don’t have my Christmas tree up. Just not feeling it this year. We did decide that when I get around to it, I’m just putting up the aluminum tree with color wheel, instead of the full blown green tree with lights and trinkets and crap. Merry kitschy Christmas!
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I have one of those – I love it! But I keep it here at my office and we got flooded over Thanksgiving. This season my decorating scheme for the office is Carpetless Chaos.
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Nothing like a little retail therapy to make a little red hen happy.
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So right! And when she got home from the mall she turned off the lights, turned on the tree lights (those that worked) poured herself a big glass of Merlot (or two) and when she squinted her eyes, everything looked kind of like a Martha Stewart spread.
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Something to be said for age and failing eyesight.
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And that’s why the three chicks were cooked and served for Christmas dinner.
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Ha! Serves ’em right.
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Next year, instead of wasting time for the family, who does not value it, waste time on the internet, get yourself a nice ticket to a nice warm beach with nice young, fit men to look at – and have yourself a merry little Christmas. No gifts for the ungrateful!
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I like how you think.
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Yep, me too 😛
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I love this story!
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Brings a tear to the eye, don’t it?
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Put a bow on those boxes for each new holiday and you can be Martha Stewart’s competition. You go girl.
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Good idea!
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Bah humbug they said? Their loss.
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I think they like to LOOK at it all when it’s done, just not so enthused about pitching in like they were when they were kids.
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Haven’t we all been there, Little Red Hen. Haven’t.We.All.Been There.
(This really should be a picture book. I would buy it and read it while drinking eggnog and eating cookies.)
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…while somebody else does all the work, hopefully.
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I agree! Why with your spectacular Paint skillz, this book would sell millions, Peg.
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We have the smallest tree we have ever had and I still had Katie help me. Just wasn’t feeling it but it was easy to put lights and ornaments up. Still have 3 boxes of ornaments in the basement but the special ones are on the tree.Maybe next year I hire a service to decorate the house!
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Did you chop down your own tree?
I went into the big box just to dig out a couple of “babies first Christmas” ornaments. I’ve gone to a 4-footer that I put on a table in the front window. Still looks festive if I squint my eyes.
That’s a great idea about the decorator. Let’s see if Martha Stewart will give us a 2-for-1 deal.
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Last year, my kids ornaments were never hung. I asked my daughter if I should hang them this year, but she says she’ll hang them. We”ll see….
I think I ate that Litle Red Hen’s sister for dinner last night. Don’t tell her….
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Yikes! They say this is a tough time of year for many, but that’s brutal.
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Hahaha! I almost deleted it, but I cracked up so I had to share. I blame it on finishing my annual Christmas card. It always leaves me in a delirious state of mind… 🙂
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I got your card last year, remember? I still have it – you are such a talented artist, Susie.
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Awww! Thanks Peg! You are the bestest. 🙂
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Ho Ho Ho. This one hits the nail right on the head. As long as you’ve got that nail in, would you mind hanging my stocking from it? Happy Holidays to you and yours, Peg!
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Thanks Dave – right back at you. I’ll put your stocking up next to the kids, since I actually dug them out this year. They are both far away now and will be coming home next week, so I went to a bit more effort.
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Hi Peg,
Decorating a Christmas tree? Is that some kind of new tradition? How does anyone find the time with all the football games on? I do understand the cookie and eggnog part though, what fun! Where does that stuff come from anyway?
Your rooster pal, Al
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C’mon, Al. Surely you know that Santa’s elves do all that cooking, cleaning, decorating and shopping to get ready for the big day.
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Ha! I’d forgotten about this one. Nice that you’re pulling some out of the archives. You know? I love that my kids are now old enough to put out all the tree and hearth decorations on their own; I was required for lights and topper only (Dad pulled the tree out of the box). I should defer all that work I saved and string lights out front. Or…nah.
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Go for it, Shannon! It’s a cheery sight when you’re driving in at night.
I have a confession. I left the lights on the deck from last year. 2 of the strands had gone out and the rest of the lights are rather faded, but after a little tweaking they were good to go. Besides, Christmas lights up all year long adds a certain dash of style to the double-wide, don’t you think?
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Hell yeah! And I must confess…that comment I made in the wee morning hours prompted me to go dig in the attic for lights boxes. Some done already, and I’m just in for some lunch and back out to it. It certainly helps that it’s still only about 70 degrees and sunny out (I’m bare-footed), though I do get interrupted by the kids (who are here now for school) for tests and turning in assignments. By sundown, though the front will be completely adorned with lights.
I totally dig the shacks with the year-round lights on them. Here in Texas, that is more the norm, but in my hood for some reason, neighbors frown on the “trashy” look. Need to find me another neighborhood for sure. Cheers, Peg!
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O Christmas Tree! O Perfect! And by the way, this morning I got an email for China advising me that I had better register the domain name “PegoLeg” in China or else I shall lose it. I’d better get right on that if I want to claim your blog as my own on the other side of the world.
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Hey, I just got that same email! Apparently the Peg-o-leg blog name is on everybody’s Christmas wish list this year.
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They must think I’m your boss!
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In that case, I want a raise.
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Merrrrrrry Christmas Miss Peg-o-bah-humbug-ness!
I lucked out this year, because for the very first time I didn’t have to do anything. I gave my kids the ornaments and tinsel (yes, my mother-in-law somehow found a box of that toxic silvery stuff in her closet) and they did all the decorating. Sure, the tree looks like the Grinch threw up on it, but it’s festive!
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I bet if you packaged a box of green tinsel and called it Grinch Vomit, you would make a fortune. I’ll have the engineers at Peg-Co get in touch to work out the details.
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and they all lived happily ever after. The Kardashians, I mean.
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Exactly.
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The Little Red Hen should get herself to a Big Box Store and buy one of those artificial trees with the lights and ornaments already pre-assembled. Then she can kick back with her eggnog and watch some Kardashians.
May your Christmas be merry, bright, and pre-decorated, Peg!
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Thanks Jackie. Right back atcha!
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I’m a blessed hen. My 1st little chickee loves Christmas as much as I do, and he is only too happy to help put up the tree & decorate. The middle chickee is in & out: put on a few ornaments, leave, come back, put on a few more, repeat. The baby chickee wants to help, too, but doesn’t much. (That’s a whole blog post in itself.) Then we all share hot cocoa with extra marshmallows. The only Humbug is the hubs, but once it’s all up, even he starts to get in the spirit.
May your Christmas be merry and bright, Peg!
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My chickees were all about it when little, but then they grew. I think we all enjoy it once it’s up, though. Happy, Merry days to you and yours, too!
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I love that little Red Hen! (Not doing the giant tree this year…a pre-lit medium size one – what I would give for a big closet and a tree on wheels that I could just roll in and out.)
Here the civic associations get ugly if you don’t take light down by a certain date….they are a bit like the IRS – you don’t want to raise your head up and get on their radar for anything!
I managed a lighted bush and lights outlining the front flowerbed by the drive…helps the dog see the FE Ex/UPS delivery guys better…..
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That’s a very useful point about the Christmas lights – they do improve night visibility, especially useful when your dog is trying to protect you from having too many presents delivered.
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It’s already a given if I want decorations done, I’m doing them. With company here last Sunday, I was hell-bent on getting Christmas stuff up. I got my little trees up, nativity set on the buffet, and a modest 6′ tree with some of my treasures, installed and sparkly, before company. I was content.
Have a sparkly glass of Merlot, now PegoLittleRedHen, and squint into the Christmas tree you enjoy! 🙂
Merry Merry! See you soon!
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Sounds lovely! That’s the good thing about hosting a big shindig – it forces you to get the place all clean and shiny. I have been basking in the glow of my Thanksgiving cleaning spree, but it occurred to me last night that everything has gone back to the usual dirty, dusty state. boo hoo.
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Last time I read this, I was unacquainted with “The Little Red Hen.” I like this all the more, knowing that story. 🙂
Merry Christmas!
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Knowing the back story helps it make sense.
Right back atcha, Deb!
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Reblogged this on dudleydoright49 and commented:
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