Peace...

Christmas last year was a little tough to get in the spirit, and it was the first year EVER that I did NOT have a REAL tree. Christmas this year seems to be a little tougher, due to a number of factors, including but not limited to house interior logistics, i.e. where can I put a tree with all this extra s...stuff? (The extra stuff is a long story which I cannot share on the blog.) This picture is misleading.... the tree is less than four feet tall.  So to add a bit of height and brightness, I decided to put twinkle lights at the base as well, together with sparkly garlands and baubles. Now, even though I rarely go into this room, it was the only place that I could find enough space, and, bonus, I can see the lights on the tree from the kitchen. It didn't turn out too badly, but it is missing a lot of ornaments, some of which (the vintage glass ones) were not where they were supposed to be. It would seem that I put them somewhere other than in their designated box last year amidst the carfuffle.

Christmas was... is... my thing. When I was living at home, I would pick out a tree (with dad's help), drag it in the house, put it up and decorate it. Over a few years, I slowly bought lights and ornaments so the tree could grow out of the brightly coloured, foil reflector, felt ornament, little kid look. One year I decided that I did not like the coloured Christmas lights that dad put up on the house every year, so I went out and bought clear bulbs, dragged the big ladder out, and in the below freezing weather, changed every single bulb along the roofline, which luckily was straight.  My dad took a while to notice, but he then went and changed them back. I do know that I changed them once more after that, but I honestly do not remember if I won the battle or if he did.

We always had a great Turkey dinner at Christmas (see here for details), and then New Years Day was the BIG all out food day where mom put together a huge buffet style spread. Of course when I was a kid, I did NOT appreciate the ethnicity of some of the food she cooked on that particular day of the year, but I sometimes wish that I had enjoyed it more back then. I sure as heck miss it now. Mom has been gone ten years today. She never got to see me in my own place, nor start my business, or create Christmas in my own home, nor did she get to come over and share a meal, but... I am oddly comforted by the fact that she did not have to see me fail nor struggle as I have in the past year.

So...

to everyone.... especially all those who are far from home or missing family and friends, for whatever reason.