'tis the season

We have a tree! Well, we have a potted shrub that will eventually go in the front yard, but this is the closest thing to a Christmas tree that I'll ever get. Jay isn't so fond of Christmas for completely understandable reasons and most years I plunk dead branches in a bucket of sand and hang my ornaments off the bare twigs - it may sound awful, but really, it looked pretty great. Even so, the scent of pine and real greenery is by far my first choice. Sadie's eyes just lit up when I plugged the lights in last night (my brother's birthday is today, so my Mom always tried to have the tree up by now) and she has been describing each ornament and counting the cardboard stars ever since. I took photos of two of my favourite ornaments - the first is one that Jay made (there's a little bit of Christmas in him yet!) It's a rubber baby frozen in epoxy and when the light comes through the bubbles just glow. The second is a see-through scene with one little girl looking out a window from inside and then another little girl looking in from outside. My Mom gave it to me in 1984, and it's just so charming and sweet. It's the one I'm excited to see every year - and I have to say, it suits this whole "live" tree much better.

I just hope my neighbours can forgive me for digging a huge hole out in the front yard that will stay empty for at least another month. Oops.