My tree as of December 21-- still undecorated! |
But first, am I the only one who is having trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year? Am I getting old? Am I overscheduled? Well, yes to both questions, but they cannot be the explanation for others, too, can they?
I did deviate from my routine this year in that I did not decorate the house the weekend after Thanksgiving. This is not the first year it has happened, but I was disappointed with myself that it happened again this year.
So, on December 21, I pulled out the ornaments and confronted my bare tree. I have boxes and boxes of ornaments, but I seem to be paring down the number that actually make it to the tree. The plain glass balls stay in the box. A lot of the "collectible" ornaments do, too, unless they have a clear connection with a family member.
A hand-carved whistle recalls a trip to the Smoky Mountains. |
What seems to go up on the tree are the ornaments that have some memory attached to them.
The Resident Dragon has an honored place on the tree. |
My son's feet were never this small! |
Some remind me of hobbies and interests we've enjoyed throughout the years: there are plenty of football- and cheerleading-related ornaments on the tree. Long before I developed an interest in gardening, instead of plain glass balls I began collecting glass ornaments shaped like fruits, vegetables, and nuts. I'd like to tell you it was some ingrained response to the German tradition of hiding a gherkin in the tree, but I just thought they were pretty.
There are plenty of bears and dragons, too, since we've collected them for years.
There are some special ones, though, whose sentimental value far exceeds their monetary value. To commemorate the birth of our first child, our son, I splurged on his "official" tree ornament. It was, in those days, quite an investment for us. Nevertheless, I did it, and those bisque baby shoes have been on the tree for 28 years.
How did I know how much she would love to dance? |
For the birth of my daughter two years later, we added a pair of dancing shoes--a prescient choice as she loved to dance!
My grandmother could barely see by the time she made this star. |
The memory may have dimmed, but lingers on. |
I've promised myself that, before I forget it all, I would set to paper the story of our family, but it occurs to me that our story has already been told. You can read it every year.
On our Christmas tree.
So, from our house to yours,
a very merry and blessed Christmas!
Nancy
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