Getting Ready

It's been a busy week of preparing for Christmas. Because we are heading to Southern California for the holiday this year, I had to get all our gifts that had to be shipped wrapped, boxed and posted this week. I managed to get it all done (well, mostly done!) and on Thursday I sent poor hubby off to work with about 10 boxes of various sizes. It made an impressive pile all stacked up in the back hall, I can tell you. Many of our gift recipients will be at Annie and Chris' this year---Betty, Mark, Doug and George on Chris' side, hubby, daughter Jen and me on Annie's. Then there are the 3 3/4 members of the hosting family and on Christmas Day, two other families will join us for dinner! It's going to be a zoo, and I can't wait!

I have never been out of state for Christmas in all my 57 years. I am quite looking forward to a "palm tree" Christmas this year. While I will miss Don and his family terribly, and I really can't imagine not being at my mother-in-law's on Christmas Eve, having a new experience should be great fun.


Since we are going to be away for Christmas, I had thought I probably wouldn't decorate this year....but I couldn't stand it and so the house is decked out, both inside and out. The tree is very pretty this year and I love how my collection of ornaments keeps growing. I wonder, will I ever find myself not drawn to adding to the ever-expanding ornament selection? I doubt it! I found some great little birds this year, some real quail eggs that had been emptied of the innards to which I added red thread loops for hanging and some mercury glass pine cones. I also brought ornaments in Ecuador and Alaska last summer, so I've added more new goodies from my travel to my collection. I have several bowls full of antique glass balls here and there. I didn't get them all out this year, but I put out several boxes worth.


As it has been for the last 53 years, my Christmas angel is my tree topper. When I was about four years old my mother, not the craftiest of women, made me my very own angel to top our Christmas tree. I know now that, most likely, that my parents couldn't afford to buy a fancy tree topper so Mom decided to make something for me. She used very heavy aluminum foil for a cone-shaped body, a wooden bead with a simple face painted on it and a bit of black paint swoops for hair, and silver wings cut from more heavy aluminum foil. I have to admit that by now she is more than a little worse for wear, but I could not have a Christmas tree without her! She is my special angel and I love her dearly. All the childhood magic of Christmas and family are bound up in my little angel. She is my symbol of Christmas. Alex and Santa, 2007