In the Holiday Spirit

My tree is up. It is a 3-foot tall tree (ok, maybe 4) that I got for £2 at a carboot sale. It has colored twinkle lights and a lovely angel on top that was a gift from my friend Bethany. Bethany also left me a cute little caroler/angel last year when she was here, and it's right up there where I can see it.

There are childhood ornaments that my mom made. She was crafty...I know other people that have these same ornaments, but my mom's are much nicer, I must say. My favorites are the sequined mittens (the red ones), the Santa slipper with sequins, and the fake skates with paperclips for blades.

There are dreidls from my friend Larry in Seattle, who added a bit of Hannukah to our forest of trees to make them more inclusive. When I lived with Knox and Ellen, the Christmas trees from Chubby and Tubby were only $3. So we got three. They were Charlie Brown trees, but they were AWESOME.

There is a set of vegetables from Tim and Mark...a bulb of garlic, a potato, a tomato, and an eggplant. I have a teapot and a kitchen set of mini utensils that were a gift from the Poodles. Back before I moved to England I used to be a great cook.

There is a little cotton boll angel from the Atlanta History Center, purchased on a Thanksgiving trip to Atlanta to visit my friend Susan when she was still just the Curator of their textile collection. There's also a little diversity bus that I think she got me in Chicago. I think that there's a sequined bee somewhere in my stuff that should be on the tree for awhile, but it's due to be smuggled into her luggage on my trip home.

There's a handprint from my godchild, Sonja, done in air-drying spongy craft goo. And a weird cathead thing my youngest nephew, Nick, made me in preschool.

And the pickle is in plain sight, so I can make as many wishes as I like.

I like to sit by the light of the tree and practice Christmas carols on my ukulele. I'm doing really well on Angels We Have Heard On High, Silent Night, and Deck the Halls. There's a Bmin chord that's a bit troublesome, though, so I need to work on that. If I get good enough, I'll play them for you online.

Going to a Christmas Market this weekend, though I haven't decided between Bath and Bury St. Edmonds (both are supposed to be great.)

And the mince pies are out in force.

I love the holidays.

Comments

Pam said…
I remember those trees. They were scrawny as hell and kept dropping needles all over the Montlake house, plus, weren't they up FOREVER? Didn't I come over and string popcorn and wasn't there a FABulous Christmas party with formal wear and everything?
Joe said…
Thank you for putting me in the spirit!

I was just starting to get worried because I can't put my lights up today in the pouring rain, and it's supposed to get bitterly cold tomorrow.

But now your description of all your Christmasey stuff made me sit back and grin, and start thinking about dragging all our boxes of hokey holiday goodness up from the basement.
Melinda June said…
Yes, Pam, your memory serves you well. I think they're still finding needles from those trees, but they were AWESOME dressed in homemade garland an silly objects.

That was one of my favourite Christmases. We had the big party on the Eve and Knox made the goose and tons of other delicious food, and then on Christmas day we ate chinese food (dim sum for brunch, late night HoHo for dinner) and went to movies at the Crest.

Glad to help with the holiday spirit, bubs. Plus christmas trees require sidecars, irish coffees, tom and jerrys, or that delicious vodka slush stuff. It's a whole new season of cocktails!

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