Since I moved to Jasper away from Daddy, his pickup truck, power tools and man-help, I don't put up a Christmas tree. I am one of those folks--if I can't have a real live Christmas tree, I will just do without.This is a bit of a problem for a single gal living alone.
I have devised a solution that works out wonderfully for me. I put out some live greenery so that my home smells Christmasy (Thanks, Daddy!), put up some garland with pretty lighs so my house looks Christmasy, and put up two ornament trees so that I feel Christmasy! It's like all the joy of Christmas without so much mess.
Now, about those ornaments--I have a lot. There are some ornaments my parents bought for their tree the Christmas that I was born. I have ornaments that my friends gave me in elementary school, usually saying, "Here's your Christmas and birthday present." There are those children gave me when I taught them in Sunday School or youth group and the ones from friends over the years, especially Pantster, who is a GREAT gift giver.
I have many Nutcracker/Solider style ornaments. My favorite one is a grey solider that I am sure served with the Gallant Stonewall Jackson. I put all of these ornaments on the ornament tree in my dining room underneath the print of General Robert E. Lee and His Lieutenants. I used to say underneath General Lee, but then Mr. Lyle thought I meant the car that Bo and Luke Duke drove so I thought I better clear that up!
Every year I enjoy hanging my ornaments and remembering the special people who gave them to me as well as the celebrations where I received them.
This very well may be my favorite part of Christmas.
Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament? If so, what is the story behind it?
It's got to be the green construction paper tree with the red splotches that Precious Angel made when the was 3--before he got kicked out of the most elite preschool in town.
ReplyDeleteYeah. That's right: Asked to leave. Not that I'm bitter. Oh, no. He wasn't hateful. He wasn't whiney. He did not cry of his mother or bite other children. His crime: "He was just too busy."
Well. I hope they saw the front page article last week that told about his early nomination and appointment to West Point and his 4.4 (out of 4) GPA. I guess that's what being busy will get you.
And it turned out well. The Lutheran preschool loved him and his business, which led to the perfect faith home for Precious Angel and his family. Of course his acolyte and youth group make him busier. I guess there's no cure.
Still, I love the little tree. I finally had to have it laminated.
I have so many ornaments! I love them all. I don't think I would win any Southern Living award for a "theme" tree but to me my tree is beautiful. I have one pop-cicle stick ornament that my son made me in kindergarten which I hang every year with pride. But there is one ornament that brings a flood of memories back to me - a tiny, hand-made ceramic mouse sitting next to a candle. It's not pretty, kind of plain and ordinary. It was the first ornament I bought after I got married. We had little money and had to make do most of the time but I wanted this little mouse which was at a craft fair. I plunked down the three dollars for it - a lot for us to "waste." He gets a special place on the tree every year. I also have a lot of my grandmother's mercury glass ornaments which I put on a tree in the dining room, safe from the cats. I love all those ornaments too because they remind me of my childhood. Soo many memories...
ReplyDeleteJean, I would say that Precious Angel has gotten the best end of that preschool business!
ReplyDeleteCheryl, that mouse sounds precious! You are lucky to have some of your grandmother's things. I know they are very special to you!
Good grief? Too busy? Jean, this is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard, kind of like the new ruling about what you can sing in school. I don't get it. If those Glee kids can sing about sex and orgies, why can't little kids sing Silent Night? (But I digress.)
ReplyDeleteCheryl, ornaments from the early days of marriage are the best ones, aren't they? Those memories of having very little and sharing the most love will never fade.
My favorite ornament was given to me after I worked at for a vendor in Vicenze, Italy. The event was sponsored by the Officers' Wives Club and I'd volunteered to help. I was assigned to assist an Italian vendor who sold blown glass ornaments. To thank me for my time, which was entirely unnecessary, the vendor gave me one of his beautiful, hand-blown glass ornaments. Buon Natale is on the ornament in raised font. Most spectacular! It always gets a special spot.
And then there are my four Phantom of the Opera, musical ornaments and my three Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow ornaments. My greatest favs! (Just so happens I got a new POTC Jack Sparrow ornament this year!)
Oh, and this year my hubby surprised me with four new German ornaments which are, what else, animals. An eagle, a fox, a bluebird and a hummingbird. So beautiful! More to join the little mouse.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful memories!! When I was growing up, usually the oldest one had the honor/responsibility of decorating the tree. This usually went on until they passed it down to the next sibling. Being #5, I had to wait quite a while before it was my turn. And then I didn't give it up until I married and moved away.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom handmade one special ornament for each one of us (6 in total) and I still have it. Then my other favorite ones are special ones from Disney in FL ( I'm a Disney junkie!!) that I've collected.
Since driving a truck with hubby, though, I've had to sometimes buy whatever's available when we've found ourselves on the road on Christmas. Have some fond memories from that too! Lol