Upon the tree

There they are. Our family history. Our trips and habits and likes and passions. There they all are represented on our Christmas tree.

Among my favorite Christmas things is the very first ornament we bought as a couple. In 1976 we were married, that fall we were visiting family in New England and had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called the Olde Mill, my memory could be wrong on the name but the place was impressive. After dinner we wandered through the gift shop and purchased a circular hand made lightweight ornament made of balsa wood. It is a forest scene with a tiny deer and a pine tree. Simple and sweet.

My parents began giving us collectible ornaments at about the same time. Large, round pearlized balls decorated with images of Berta Hummel figures and either scripture or inspirational words and the dates. They add a touch of old fashioned charm, I think. My sister Cathy gave me an amazing glass teardrop shaped piece which has the most spectacular glass reindeer inside! Our boys are represented all over the tree; Shane's Waterford Crystal snowflake that he caught as an 8 year old at the State College Christmas parade one year, the whale ornament they gave me from a whale watching vacation they took off Cape Cod, the small real leather baseball mitt from Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame, two plastic and cardboard works of art with their pictures from preschool,a Popsicle sled with alphabet macaroni spelling out Adam, and the Arts Festival pieces in the shapes of dinosaurs, and teddy bears. We have Mike's days at Sears present with cute collectibles by Craftsman (elves sitting on hammers and saws), his firefighter days with a Santa driven fire truck, and his Polar Bears reminiscent of his time at the Worchester Science Center. Our vacations are there, too. Currituck lighthouse, a cactus from Arizona,Moose from Wyoming, the NYC skyline with the Twin Towers. My snowmen from here and there and everywhere are nestled next to the glass icicles and glittering hand blown pine-cones. For awhile Mike gave me Peanuts ornaments that lit up or moved and I have the beautiful Tinkerbell that celebrates our Peter Pan production,too. So many special memories all in one place. I even have a Chimney Sweep, the perfect reminder of the career my Dad had after he turned 50!

And then there is the angel. Grandma crocheted it and starched it so long ago and gave one to each of her family members. It is a little worn now, but she is there. She always will be along with our life represented in glass and wood and glitter. Once a year I look at it in wonder and love. Then I glance alongside it and see the Nativity. The reason for it all.