“Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.”
The sky is white cloudy. The breeze is warm and it’s 58°. The weatherman has warned us that cold weather, winter weather, is coming later in the week. It’s time for the woolies to come out of the drawer.
Some of the leaves still hang precariously from the ends of the oak tree branches near the deck. The leaves are brown and curled and blow back and forth in the breeze. They don’t know their time is long over. Huge scrub pine trees tower over the backyard. They are old and some are delicate. Every winter more branches fall. One tree is dead and another has a broken branch hanging across two branches which keep it from falling in the yard. Come spring both will be gone after the clean-up.
Every night even more houses are bright with outside lights. Never have I seen as many this early in the season. I think the warm weather was the incentive. It is far easier putting up lights when your fingers don’t get stiff from the cold.
All my friends and family buy real trees at Christmas. My sister, when her kids were little, had two: one in the living room and one in the family room. They went to a cut down your own tree farm each year, and one of my nephews claims every tree they brought home back then looked like a Charlie Brown tree. This year my sister has only one tree, and it’s in the family room so she can see it every night while she watches television. My other sister is putting hers up tonight. I can see my friends’ tree all lit up through the window when I go by their house. This time of year I always use their end of the street so I can see the tree.
I sit in the living room and read all afternoon with the tree lit. I stop reading often just to look at the tree and all the ornaments. Some are from my childhood, others I made for my mother and they came back to me when she passed away, many are from my trips while others are gifts from my friends and their trips, a couple are from Africa and some, like the ragged angel and the clown, are just ugly or weird, and I love them for that. I think my tree is just beautiful, but I suspect we all think our trees are beautiful.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Christmas tree, dead leaves, outside lights', pine trees, winter weather
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December 6, 2011 at 1:40 pm
It runs in our veins. Every Christmas tree is better than last years. Not sure why but we say that here too especially when the Grandchildren see it for the first time. Of course it’s loaded with gifts by then so I think there little eyes are staring wildly at the tags on the gifts. But we make a big deal out of stuffing their stockings with fun things and toothpaste. This year our oldest is so fascinated by puzzles we got one with over 1000 pieces so hopefully that will take some time. It won’t fit in the stocking though. So we’ll wrap it for when we go over to their house.
December 6, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Z&Me,
The tree is so glorious with all the colors and glitter that’s all we can say: beautiful.
We always got a new toothbrush. It was the one constant in our stockings. With all their little surprises, they were the favorite part of Christmas!
December 6, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Moresnow fell last nigh´t and more will come tonight they say. Not much lights outside yet and I’ll try to put up mine tomorrow after work.
I’ll have a real tree this year, well tree is perhaps to much to call it, I guess it is 15 inches high 🙂 🙂 But I have bought lights and I will decorate it. I’m afraid it will look hidious 🙂 🙂 🙂 I just don’t know where to put it yet.
Have a great day!
Christer.
December 6, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Christer,
We are still bathing in unfamiliar warmth, but the cold air will be here at the end of the week. Meanwhile, my sister in Colorado is freezing with temps as low as 11°.
No tree ever looks hideous. Even the smallest tree takes on a majesty!
December 6, 2011 at 7:02 pm
As you know, our artificial tree is a living tree as the ornaments are always in motion.
We put the tree in out family room this year, and it’s warm (LCD) glow brings the season to the house. Mrs Hedley and I buy ornaments throughout the year mostly as a remembrance of our travels although we freely admit that we have a density of Westies on the tree.
Our tree is nice, the angel on the top is made of cardboard and has been there for thirty years
December 6, 2011 at 10:39 pm
My Dear Hedley,
I have ornaments my mother made, a couple my nephews made and also some from my trips. I know some more must still be downstairs in the cellar as I’m missing a few countries.
I love looking at all the ornaments and remembering.