Merry Christmas

Photo 1. Christmas Eve - through the rancho door 2011

Photo 2. Farewell chandelier

Which picture shall be use in our midnight Merry Christmas e-mail?

Photo 1. A syrupy sentimental Christmas shot through our avocado front door. 

Photo 2. Currently punishing ourselves for continuing to procrastinate about throwing junk away, we're resolved to stay put here until the junkola is gone. The other day, we got up and first thing, while still in our pj's, sleep-rumpled, grungy and before the dumpster guy arrived, we heaved the chandelier in it, said the last rites and parted with it forever. This light held sway (oh pardon me please) over many of Richard's dinners for years in DC and for a few at the rancho. In storage for ages, when we unwrapped it we found the wiring all chewed up or rusted and most of the parts cracked, chipped or broken.

Although Richard is feigning a separation anxiety attack we were actually having a merry time thinking up captions for the shot. Our favorite:

"Last night we had one last swing on the chandelier and we're very much worse for the wear. In fact we were thinking of diving in the dumpster after it!"

"Their chandelier days clearly over, the McHargues prepare to face 2012 unlit, as it were."

We held on to that chandelier

'Til people thought us very queer.

We rose at dawn

To get it gone

Consoled ourselves with lots of beer.