“Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance – each beautiful, unique and too soon gone.”
Last night was cold, but today we’re back up to 50°. The sun is in and out of the clouds making the day bright but not sunny. I have to refill the feeders later and I’m glad my fingers won’t freeze. Earlier was already warm enough for me to stand outside for a little bit watching Gracie. She ran like a crazy dog around the yard, came in and got her snack, always two biscuits, then she flopped down on the couch for her morning nap. That’s where she still is. One cat, Fern, is on the couch in the living room, and the other, Maddie, just went down the cellar. I suspect she might be mouse hunting.
Later I have some shopping to do so I’m gearing up to fight the crowds at the supermarket and curse the wagons left in the middle of the aisles. My list is small and for that I am thankful. I hate grocery shopping.
Gracie and I went for a ride to see the lights the other night. I was far more enthused than she. I pointed out to her all the wonderfully lit houses, lamented the dark ones and laughed a bit at the “at least they did something houses.” I saw lit Christmas trees through windows and a few plastic Santas on lawns. Those Santas reminded me of my childhood when plastic Santas were the newest Christmas decorations. I have a few myself I’ve collected over the years but haven’t used them in a while. I think next year they’ll be perfect for the deck. It will be like a Santa convention.
When I was young, we used to string popcorn for the tree and a couple of times we added the cranberries. We’d sit at the kitchen table with the bowl of popcorn in the middle for us to share. It took a delicate push to get the needle through without breaking the kernel, but no matter how gently we tried, the table was usually strewn with broken pieces of corn kernels. We’d munch as we worked figuring the popcorn was as much for eating as threading. When our strands were ready, we’d each take our own and place it on the tree looped from branch to branch. We’d then step back to admire our work and how pretty it looked on the tree. When Christmas was over, the strands went outside for the birds.
We stopped doing popcorn when my dog Shauna decided the Christmas tree was for snacking. We caught her eating the popcorn enough times that we gave up before she pulled the tree down during her snack time. Shauna was a great one for sniffing out treats from just about anywhere. She always found her present under the tree. She’d pull it out from the pile and unwrap it then settle down to eat her present. She was always on Santa’s nice list.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Christmas, Christmas tree, Holiday, lights, Santa Claus
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December 17, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Cold, windy and now rainy here but the rain will turn to snow tonight they say and it will stay for a couple of days as well.
I did finally put up my last lights today and the wind helped to change my work 🙂 I think my efforst will count as “At least he tried” 🙂 🙂 🙂 I haven’t had them up for a day yet and I already hate them 🙂 🙂 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone having popcorn in their tree but most of us have had chocolate santas in them 🙂 I remember making heart shped baskets in school and they were supposed to hang in the tree witn some candy in them. As I remember it the candy never lasted till christmas 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
December 17, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Christer,
It will snow a few inches tonight. It has gotten really cold since this morning. There is actually a weather advisory about icy roads for late this evening.
I bet that people seeing them love them. I bet they shine through the darness of the trees and across the field and someone is thinking, “Great Lights!”
The popcorn is a chain, a garland, and the tree in the picture has one which is why I chose it. We had little crepe cups which held candy. I have a few on my tree.
December 17, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Hi Kat,
I’m in the “at least they did something” category. A wreath on the door is about all one can see on the outside. Next year I think I’m going for the plastic flamingo wearing a Santa hat and standing under a fake palm tree which is decorated with “Xmas lites”. 😀
One of my neighbors has a Christmas Frog on the lawn. It’s a large, green wireform and mesh frog wearing a Santa hat and it has strings of lights coiled up inside the mesh. I covet it immensely. They are moving soon and I will miss that Frog.
So far my only odd Christmas thing is the stuffed chihuahua, wearing a Santa hat and holding a pair of maracas. When the button on its foot is pressed, it plays the maracas and sings La Bamba.
It is not warm here. It’s cold and damp and it’s supposed to flurry snow this evening. It figures. I’m going to a party tonight.
Enjoy the rest of the evening.
December 17, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Hi Caryn,
I have a plastic flamingo who lives on my deck all summer and moves in here for the winter. He has a full wardrobe for every holiday and is Santa right now. For years I had a palm tree on my deck but when the last one fell, I didn’t buy another. Maybe I will as I do miss the might of it.
I bet that frog wouldn’t be difficult to make. You’d have to wear gloves when forming the frog and using the wire. I have a lot of green wire I used when the fence was 4 foot and Gracie jumped it. Adding the height didn’t help, but I have the fence. I’ll have to give your frog some thought.
I’m all for oddity at Christmas. It brightens the season.
Have a great time at your party!