Christmas Tree Memories - December 10, 2010

When I was growing up my family didn't have money for a Christmas tree. However, we had a tree each and every year. I don't know where a few of them came from, and I don't know how my mom managed to make sure we had a tree. Our Christmas trees were always a surprise and beautiful to us.

In the 60's people were getting into a lot of flash. Silver trees for Christmas. I shudder to think about it now. But, when I was 10 years old that is what our tree was. It was an aluminum tree with a color wheel of the basic colors. The wheel plugged in and turned so that a different color shined on the tree. Sounds hideous right? To me that tree was the best ever, remember that is a 10 year old's taste. It was a modern tree. Oh how beauteous that tree was!

I remember one year mom told us that there would not be a tree because she just could not afford one. No way, no how, period. There wouldn't be many gifts that year either. That year we walked to church for midnight mass as was our tradition. We loved the magic of mass at midnight and a quietly falling snow. We could feel the love as our Savior was born in to this world. That year when we got home there in our living room was a beautifully decorated tree with presents underneath it. My mom to her dying day denied knowing where the tree or the gifts came from. Back then we didn't lock our doors so it could have been anyone leaving us this wondrous gift. Ours neighbors were like that.

One year we had a Charlie Brown tree. We waited until the last moment to get a tree and all the really good ones had been chosen. The tree had brownish limbs on the bottom already and the needles fell of if the tree was moved too suddenly. The part that we put toward the room was not too bad. Fortunately we always put our tree in the corner so the bald part of the tree went there and no one knew but us that we had a poor left over tree. And we didn't care.

I picked us up a tree one time from a lot that was already closed. It was Christmas Eve and they had closed early. It was dark. I went into the business next door to pay for it and they told me that the people in charge of the trees were gone. I asked what I should do and it was recommended to me to take the tree and have a happy Christmas. I took the tree and the wheel stand.

A Christmas tree other than these already mentioned that stand out in my mind is the tree that came with food. It was about a week before Christmas. There was a knock at the front door, my mom answered it. There wasn't anyone there, but what was there was a big box of food and a wonderful tree. Again the work of generous neighbors or possible the church. That was a nice surprise.

Now days I still put up a tree, but none of my trees even come close to those of my childhood. It seems that every year was a surprise to what kind of tree we would be having. Would it be silver, or spindly, or full and beautiful? We really didn't care because we still had the love of each other and of the season.

Monday Mahem - December 6, 2010

Welcome to Monday Mayhem.
Today our meme is based upon several reader's poll's including the current issue of InStyle Magazine. Have fun answering the prompts and be sure to visit the other participants.
Thanks for playing!

1. Do you RSVP to all of your invites over the holidays?

I don't get many invites. But yes I do RSVP because I would want the same courtesy shown me.

2. What's your best excuse for not attending a holiday function?

I guess I would just tell the truth and say I have no interest. Well , maybe I would soften it a bit, that sounded kind of harsh.

3. Have you ever had 'a little too much' of anything in front of your boss at a holiday celebration or done anything else that may come back at you to haunt you in the future ?

My boss and I are really good friends. She is actually my former boss from my last job which ended in 1991. However, we were friends even before I left the company. We often had "car trouble" at lunch and never made it back to work. It was easy for me to tell my boss,but she had to call her boss and tell him she wouldn't be back for the afternoon. We had great times. That was before I knew better and drank. I don't participate now.

4. How many cards do you send via 'snail mail' (regular mail)?

Maybe 5 or 6 to very special people.

5. How many cards do you send via email?

Three.

6.What is your exercise routine during the holiday season?

Same as during the year...not too much of anything.

7. What is your least favorite thing about the holiday season?

I love the decorating part of the season, but I feel the let down when I have to put it all away. One year some of the decorations stayed up until April because the shed was covered in snow and I could not get to it. That was kind of over doing it and I was ready for my house to be totally normal again.

8. Tell us what is your regifting policy?

I figure that once I give a gift what the recipient wants to do with it is their business. Give it away, throw it away, or anything , it isn't my concern because the item doesn't belong to me it is theirs to do with what they want. So yes, I would also regift.

9. Ever been the recipient of a re-gift?

I have no idea, but probably.

10. What is your basic 'fat outfit' to wear after you have been sampling too much of the holiday festivities?

Comfy clothes are the order for any time of the year when food is going to be served. And loose fitting tops.

Join us next week as we play the annoyances of the Holiday Season.

The name of the Blog says it All.

It has been so long since I blogged about anything that I am going to do a little bit quick catch -up.

On October 1, 2010 after 45 years being a heavy smoker, I quit smoking. It has been 2 months now and I feel better than I ever imagined I could. I guess what they say is really true...that when the time is right the quitting is easy. I smoked my last cigarette the night of September 30 and never looked back. That is not to say I have not had a craving or two, but not bad enough to go buy any. Yea me!

I became mom to baby kitties in July. We ended up keeping 2 of them. It is like having 3 year old twins around. What one doesn't think of the other does. They are adorable and sweet and fun, and affectionate. The yellow is named Butter Bean and the gray one in Lentil.

Because I have the 2 rambunctious kittens in the house I am not doing up the Christmas decorations like I normally do. But, I have to do some decorating. I have been haunting the thrift stores lately looking for additions to what I already have, that which will make a new and different arrangement on top of the entertainment center. I will post a picture when I get something figured out.





Every winter I wonder why I put myself through another Minnesota winter. I really don't like the cold, and I loath snow. We have already had winter for a month now and I am crying for April. We had a snow storm over Thanksgiving weekend, one last weekend, and another one is blowing in tonight. We have roughly 20 inches of the ugly white stuff on the ground already.

This is what I did yesterday. Can you guess?

I think you all are now up to date with life in my world.
I would like to post more often. Everyday I find myself thinking, "Oh that would be a good blog post." But do I post? Not so much.