Merry Christmas to all...

To the left is this year's Christmas tree (for some reason the *star* ornament keeps tumbling off of the top which is why the step stool chair has become a part of this year's decoration theme... at least it's red!). It's a beautiful tree, but then I think all Christmas trees are beautiful... even the sad ones left in the lot of Christmas Eve!!! In order to not get too upset by the unchosen trees, I used to imagine that they were pop-up forests... spreading a little extra joy to those who pass by.

When I was growing up, my parents had two trees in the house. The upstairs tree was the more formal and the rec room tree was the kids' tree. They still do that even though their children have long been out from under.

My father loves Christmas trees and when my parents first built the house they would spend the majority of their lives in, there were no trees large enough outside to put lights on. My father would buy another tree to put in the yard for that very purpose.

He also used to take us Christmas tree hunting... we would drive around early in the season and would see how many trees we could find in people's interiors. It sounds so simple, but I remember it so fondly. I was never sure if my father was just trying to justify putting our own trees up earlier (his parents put theirs up on Christmas Eve) or if he, like us, just loved to see that light shining into the darkness.

I could go on and on about trees, but what I really wanted to do was wish all of you who celebrate Christmas, a very merry one. I hope you get what you want. I hope you enjoy the people you are with. I hope we are all, no matter which holiday we honor, the recipients of peace.

Comments

[Lance Mannion]

A beautiful tree, to be sure!

Merry Christmas, J, Griz, and the Yes kids, from the Mannions!

[Connie and Steve]

Last year my 16 year old son brought home his own Christmas tree. He bought it at a discount from the grocery store he worked at. He stood it up in the corner of his bedroom, strung lights on it, and created his own happy glow. I won't tell you how long it took him to clean up his carpet of needles...

Merry Christmas!

[Jennifer]

Connie and Steve- now that's my kind of person!

I bet cleaning up all of the needles a small price to pay for having his own happy glow.

Hope you had a great Christmas!