Is it time to ornament the tree?

 I keep my Christmas tree assembled and covered with a sheet all year, alongside the 4 large boxes that hold the rest of the Christmas stuff. My assortment includes items I’ve made myself, gifts from others, and a box of ornaments, many of them made by my children when they were small. All of them are put on the tree every year, where guests and family alike can ooh and aah or just wonder “what in the world is that?” We have ice skates made with paper clips, reindeer fashioned from clothespins – you get the idea. There also are beautiful glass balls, feathery birds, and the whole array of images that grace a tree. The act of decorating my tree each year is the beginning of the Christmas celebration. My memory bank brings to mind the giver or maker of the ornament, its age, if it has suffered any calamities – a little Elmer’s Glue- and how many years I’ve been decorating a home for the Holidays.

Many years ago, I took my youngest son, then about 8, upstairs to the closet where my boxes were kept and said, “Guess what we’re going to do?” Of course, he knew what time of year it was and said, “Is it time to ornament the tree?” I’ve thought of it that way ever since.

When I lived in Minnesota, I appreciated snow on the tree branches and a nip in the air. Now that I live in sunny Arizona, I still keep up all my traditions and have resisted the temptation to decorate a cactus, as some here do.

Fun and festivities are for everyone, but they are especially magical for children. The wonder of stories, sparkly stars and brightly decorated trees light up their lives and make troubles disappear.

That’s true for grownups too. Psychology tells us that when people have something to look forward to, it eases the burden of loss, sadness, calamity, or just a really down day. So keep your cherished keepsakes close at hand. It doesn’t have to be Christmas to ornament your tree.

Here’s to angels with string hair.

Judy

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Here come the Holidays!

My favorite time of year is approaching. Holiday time means family time. It’s busy, noisy, and thoroughly satisfying. Since my children were small, I start early with baking, decorating and making homemade gifts and ornaments. Some things changed as my family grew and moved away, grandchildren have been added, and my energy level peaked and began to wane years ago. But I still get excited when I take the boxes of treasured holiday items out and begin the celebration.  It’s more than just dried arrangements and colored gourds for Thanksgiving or ornaments and candles for Christmas. It’s memories. The real treasures of life. Dinners with the extended family, Christmas with a sick baby when we just stayed home, handmade quilted ornaments being batted around the room by the cat – our pets had good taste.

My grown kids are already making plans to come to AZ for Christmas. My place isn’t large, but they bunk all over the house. Staying elsewhere is out of the question. They like being together. We talk about the Christmas when their dad was ill and then we move on to other stuff. We all grocery shop, cook, clean up, sight-see and sprawl on the living room floor and watch movies. I also put up a tree. It’s artificial now, but many of the ornaments were made by them when they were very young.

Since I have a book coming out in early Jan., I have a busy time ahead of me. I thrive on “busy” but savor the down times when I can relax and enjoy family time. It’s more than tradition; it’s therapeutic.  Stay connected. It’s good medicine.

Judy

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Back to the frozen North

I moved from Minneapolis, MN. to Mesa AZ. in Oct. 2002. For 6 Christmases, I entertained family members who loved coming to the Valley of the Sun to swim, sightsee in summer clothes or light jackets and not have to shovel snow to get out of the driveway.
This year we flew to the Twin Cities for the Holidays. We were warned that we might be flying into a blizzard, or an ice storm, it would be impossible to land, we’d be stuck in the middle of nowhere, and other interesting possibilities. The trip was uneventful and we landed just fine. But in 6 years, you forget the biting cold, the wind that sucks the breath out of you, and the leg and arm shaking movements you once did automatically to ward off the cold.
Weather conditions are a small matter compared to the fun and excitement of spending Christmas with family in their homes. Grandchildren are relaxed and love to show you their rooms, toys, books, and hamsters. Moms cook best in their own kitchens, and grandparents shine when they can sit comfortably in the living room with kids, cats, dogs, cookies, and storybooks on their laps.
The Holidays are a time for memories – good and bad. Remembering with others who share the same joys and sorrows with you help eneryone stay connected.
Even though I haven’t acclimated to the cold and wind, I wouldn’t miss this Christmas for the world.
Stay warm and well.
Judy

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