8This year before I began decorating the 2019 Christmas Tree I vowed it would be the last year I would undertake this monumental task. Granted I had more help than ever from my husband, Jim, but the sight of all those boxes of decorations intimidated me like never before.
Why was I bothering? For the first time in fifty something years I wasn’t cooking for Christmas Eve or Day. I didn’t expect any drop ins and didn’t have the energy to host a holiday gathering, which I truly love to do. What’s better than being surrounded by genuine, loving, friends? But being me, I robotically emptied box after box, Santas, reindeers, elves, polar bears, poinsettias and more, in and out of the house, leaving the tree for last. That alone took me three days.
Jim put together the tree. We had long ago abandoned live trees. I think it was when the pine needles got in the shag carpeting. And I set about opening the tree decorations. Irobot fled as soon as I hung the first one on a branch. It was a huge iridescent ball that Carol gifted me at a tree trimming party I had at my house a few years before she left us. It brought a tear to my eye. Then the ballerina Crissy bought me after the first time she, Kyra and I saw the Nutcracker at the Staller Center. This tiny dancer gave me a laugh. After seeing the ballet my daughters and I promptly went up to Port Jeff and had too much to drink. We needed to be rescued by our men to get home.
There is the exquisite Tinker Bell from Linda and the Yankee Ball from Joel. Snowmen and women with our names on them handmade by Boom’s girlfriend. A snow globe given to me by Kyra. Gold nativity and Angel blowing her horn heralding the arrival of the baby Jesus, from Jeri, and boats, flowers, shiny shells from St. Martin. So many more. Each one with a memory. They make me laugh, smile, cry but they are mine.
How can I get a smaller tree? Anything less wouldn’t hold my memories for me to look at. So as long as possible I will push on decorating my Christmas tree.
As Bob Hope aptly put it so long ago. Thanks For The Memories.
Life As I Remember It! 