Sunday, November 30, 2008

Mrs Justa and the Christmas Tree

To the delight of the cat, I put up the actual Christmas tree this year. For the past 3 years Mark and I put up a table top tree, silver, with a color disc that spins around inside the stand and make the tree change colors. 100_2003It is a cute tree, but in this house we actually have a front window in the living room. So I brought in the 6 foot tree from its comfortable place on the back wall of the shed, and Mark and I reshaped the branches and slowly it came to life.

I like this tree, about 9 years ago, Jeff and I were decorating for Christmas, and the tree we had was a family pass down to the next needy person type artificial tree. It had served its needs, but on a spur of a moment, we flew off to K Mart and got this one. The flier had come and it was marked down 50%, so we got it. The family pass down went to my sister. I do not know if she still has it or not, but it was one of the first made artificial trees and really looked artificial. Jeff had terrible allergies to molds and we found he became more congested with a real tree, hence the starting of artificial.

Usually as I decorate for the holidays, Christmas music is playing and there is either tea, coffee or cocoa on the stove, maybe fresh baked cookies. I hope Jeff remembers those times of decorating for the holidays. We always did it on the weekend after Thanksgiving. We would sing carols as we put hundreds of thumbtacks around the house. There was one year Jeff had blinking lights down the hall and around his bedroom ceiling.

The holidays bring joy and sadness. Sadness for the fact that people have passed on, traditions seem to be scarcer, and well it isn't like it was in days gone by. The joy as we are now grandparents, and there is a magical part of Christmas to children. We still have Christmas Eve buffet dinner and gift opening at my moms old house, now owned by my brother and his wife. And Christmas morning we have coffee and breakfast with Jeff and Amanda , open gifts and they go off to her parents home for dinner.

I love driving around and looking at all the houses that have decorations up. I love the baking, and the secret Santa at work, the cookie exchange, Christmas Carols, and how people seem to be more friendly during the holidays. People actually look at one another and say Merry Christmas. The magic of Christmas and what it stands for to me.

Mark, he likes the tree, although he says if it was up to him, this tree would not be standing up in the living room. He likes the table top tree just fine. Christmas is not as magical to him as it is to me. The cat, well he thinks Christmas means we have hung new toys for him on a tree, and placed tinsel to gnaw on. So it is magical to him too. Indi, the dog, he seems to care less about the tree. And baby Brandon, this tree is up for you ! Love Mrs Justa,

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