O Christmas Tree

This year we have an artificial tree. My girls are crushed, but I have a reason: for the past 10 years we have gone to 1 of 2 tree farms, owned by friends of ours, and cut down our tree. Neither of those 2 places are selling trees this year. I didn't want to buy a tree that had already been cut who knows how long ago. So I went with a fake. But it's pretty and it's 9 feet tall and it came with the lights already on it.
But the best part of the tree is the ornaments anyway, right? Those are the things that tell your family history.

This green ball says that I took home-ec in the 8th grade. There is also a purple one and an orange one.

This little man is dressed in the band uniform that Council #7 Hanging Moss wore when I was in the 10th grade.



My grandmother was always making something. She didn't like to be idle, so when she watched her "stories" in the afternoon or other shows at night, her hands were busy. I have about 5 of these beaded ones in different shapes. When I got married she made sure I had something to go on my tree that first year. She sent me a set of the 12 Days of Christmas. Each one is a wreath with a number 1 through 12 and a disk of the French Hens, gold rings, maids a milking, etc. They do not photograph well!



I had an older bulldog ornament, but it perished in a falling tree accident 2 years ago. My mom got me this one to replace it.

This handkerchief angel was a present from my Sunday School
teacher several years ago. She prayed for each one of us as she wrapped them for us.




When the girls were small, there were lots of ornaments made at school of construction paper and their photograph. We don't get those any more. Of the old ones, most of the glitter has fallen off and the picture stuck to something over the summer. I don't really mind, though. When they get around to having their own trees, I'll be able to give them something of my grandmother's and probably something of mine that I did to keep from being idle myself.