Down Memory lane

Last weekend we got the tree. My friend Bob did not look all that enthusiastic about tramping through the woods to cut one down, so We went to the Lions CLub lot and paid 35.00 for a Frasier Fir tree 5' tall. It is smaller than the ones I usually have, but with new puppy, and 4 cats, I thought it best to put said tree on a table. We got it home, and even though it is a lot smaller, it reached almost to the ceiling. No table for this tree unless we cut the top off or the full branches on the bottom. It is relatively compact, and only about three feet in diameter, so we opted to keep it on the floor, and watch Sadie closely. Tree was put in the huge plastic stand I bought last year, and watered. I thought I would just leave it that way and see what Sadie would do. She left it completely alone and ignored it.



Chemystery got all the ornament boxes out, and sorted through them looking for the lights. She has not had much of a chance to decorate a tree for many years because she is married to "Mr. Grinch" and with working her way through college and such, she just never had the time. I decided to wait and let her do it. The tree got the lights the first night it was up. They are plugged in and look so pretty in a dark livingroom. The 2nd day she added a few ornaments, and stopped.

All of my ornaments are hand made, with pins, beads, ribbons, sequins, pearls and what-not. All are elegant, and definately not something that you would want any puppy chewing on. As I looked through the boxes for SAFE ornaments to hang on the lower branches, I found the section that had the ones that the Kids had liked so much. You know the ones: the Christmas Miss Piggy doll, THe Fozzy Bear, The Christmas Kermit, the Mickey Mouse MacDonalds happy meal toys, The Burger King doo-dads, etc. I never had the heart to throw them away even though they had no emotional meaning for me. Along with those were the plastic ones from long ago, and some of the original handmade ones from the leaner years.



Our first Christmas, we were away from home on the East Coast, and broke. We lived in Navy Housing, and the lady next door was going to go home for Christmas and she loaned us her artificial tree. Since we had no money, I made all of our ornaments out of egg cartons, poster paint and glitter and glue. They were really pretty! I also made those cute multi-colored construction paper chains that all kindergarteners make. My husband was quite impressed.

As the years went by, the ornaments got more commercial, and less handmade. I worked full time and had two little kids. The egg carton ornaments gave way to pretty glass store bought ones, of various sizes and shapes. Then the kids started to school. The hand made ornaments started to appear again, only these were less of the victorian look and more of the "look what I made Mommie". The very first hand made ornament was "THE CHRISTMAS EGG". In 1972, pantyhose came in plastic "eggs" and at Christmas, the eggs were green or red or silver. Mine was Green, glued back together, with some unknown writing on it in glue, and then rolled in glitter. No ornament hook, just the egg. It's first Christmas it was placed Donna-High well into the branches of the tree. The next year there were two marshmallow snowmen, and then there were the lifesaver elves, and the felt and paperclip ice skates, the Smuckers Jelly Lid with a christmas scene pasted into it, and then the candycane horses, etc.



All of these ornaments had their place in the spotlite, at the front of the tree until the next year when something new would take its place. As I look back through the Christmas Photos, I can tell how old my kids were just by looking at the decorations on the tree. As the kids grew, the ornaments got placed higher and higher on the tree. The ornaments also became more and more refined; The marshmallow snowmen melting in the heat of the garage, and many military moves. Some of these ornaments were quietly retired and eventually disposed of.

My children are grown now. My son is 32 and has forgotten how very close we were once. He only comes home or calls when he needs something. I haven't seen him since the day I picked him up from jail. Chemystery is 36, and starting her career in the Bio-tech industry. She lives part-time with me, so I know where she is and can keep track of her. TIm is always on my mind. Especially at this time of the year. He loved Christmas. He would string lights around the bathroom mirror, and all along the ceiling in the living room, and really tacky the place up. I let him. When he was 6 he wrote a letter to Santa, and Santa in his answer back to him, sent him a tiny gold reindeer engraved with TIMMY on it.



A few nights ago , as I walked by the table and dug another ornament out of the box to hang on the tree, I found the tiny gold reindeer. TIMMY was placed lovingly on the top of the tree right in the front, right next to the smuckers Jelly lid, now faded, and the felt and paperclip ice skates, frayed, but still recognizable. The candy cane horse head has lost an eye on one side of his head, but it's hanging there too. All of these evoke memories of love and laughter, and the magic that Kids bring to the Christmas Season. THere is something that echoes in the heart of every mother when she looks at those long ago hand-made ornaments and places them out of harms way in a sacred spot on the tree.

And Yes, The Christmas egg is still there too, tucked into the branches right close to the rest of the sacred ornaments in it's own place of honor. Nothing is as elegant as those made by tiny hands with tons of love. I wish I had those tiny hands back again. I would trade all of my beautiful beaded, sequined ornaments to have my kids all home again and happy. I miss them so...