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My workroom is a mess, but I’ve completed all projects on time, actually, a couple of days earlier than planned. My customers were pleased and very appreciative. A gigantic poinsettia is now displayed on our window, and a gift basket full of gluten and dairy goodness has been regifted to a neighbor’s home, and it will make their Christmas a bit heavier.
Thursday night, it was time to get our old Christmas tree out of the attic. It had been resting there for the last few years. I never managed to be done with my work in time, chased my own tail to make everybody else around me happy, which left me exhausted and burned out at Christmas.
But not this year!
Thursday night, I strung the lights on our old donation tree and remembered the time when we purchased the tree. Three years after “Losing it All” in 2013, we had hoped to find an older tree in a resale shop, but had no luck. It was the 21st of December, and second-hand trees had long been sold out. We hoped to find a cheaper leftover live tree, but when we drove by a Christmas farm, they were closed and had boarded up days before.
Nowadays, Christmas is a season, and it seems to start between Halloween and Thanksgiving, a trend I don’t want to follow. Our tree (if we have one) goes up a few days before Christmas and is taken down after January 6th, Epiphany’s Day. The Christmas/Advent decoration, however, is displayed the whole month of December.
Back then, we accepted defeat and knew we would celebrate Christmas without a tree, when we drove by Volunteers of America one last time, because it’s so close to our home. (Volunteers of America is a large non-profit resale shop that helps the homeless and veterans.) A big truck was just pulling in, full of donations, and when the employees started to unload, we stopped and asked if they had spotted a Christmas tree in the packed trailer. “Yes, there is one in a box. Wait here, I ask if you can have it,” and the man disappeared into the store. When he came back, he informed us that he couldn’t find the manager.
“How about $7?” We gave him the money, hugged him, and left with our newest prized possession. It was the most beautiful banged-up Christmas tree this world had ever seen. It was ours, that’s all that matters. That’s what made it special.
Second-hand ornaments and Christmas resale items make our home festive, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. That’s the one thing I learned from the lessons life taught us when we were houseless. Some things are priceless, some things are worthless, and beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beholder. The angel beside the tree has a small piece missing in the back, the white Santa on top had been half naked, and most of the ornaments were either gifts or we purchased them during the after-the-holiday sales.
Isn’t it the most stunning, cheap tree you have ever seen?
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I finished trimming our tree on Friday, and after a short discussion with our dogs Vader and Patches, I got their permission to move the dogbed on the other side of the room, right under our TV, where they have a better eye on us anyway. When the tree lit up for the first time, Vader’s eyes got big like saucers. “So many balls, all hanging there, waiting?” I could see it on his face and declared the tree and the surrounding area a NO-NO, which he seems to accept.
This year we even have some presents. Smaller ones for the two of us. Some gifts for friends and neighbors, a few special ones for people who can’t afford much. We remember!
My husband is off work, the house is ready, our fridge is full, and this year’s donations have been dropped off.
Today’s our conversation after coffee was extra special:
“We forgot something, didn’t we?” My husband looked at me, and I sighed loudly.
The thought had crossed my mind as well. This can’t be, it’s the 21st of December, and we are ready for Christmas. Presents have been wrapped. We are both done working. Now what?
“I think so too, but for the life of me, I don’t know what.”
No last-minute mall shopping, Christmas cards have all been written, and we didn’t run out of paper or tape. Everything seems to be going as planned.
What did we forget?
Why are we ready for Christmas 3 days before Christmas?
Beats me! I guess we will find out.
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I will not overdo it (pinky-swear), but I will mention my book “Losing it All” frequently for a while, but at the end of my posts, so you all can overlook it, and everybody interested can tiptoe away and take a look.
I love your tree! I hope your Christmas was special. Happy New Year!!
A wonderful tree! I hope you had a very nice Christmas! We celebrate in two days… as ready as we can be.
Thinking of you!
Well done!
Fine celebrations
Thank you, Derrick.
All I can say is-you have an eye for organized beauty, Bridget. Fabulous tree. 🙂
You are very kind, Nancy. I am glad you like our $7-tree, it is very special to us. As for the beauty, I often think it’s more of an organized chaos. 🙂
Congratulations on being ready early! Many many years ago my sister lived in Knoxville. I lived (still do) in Michigan and my parents and brothers lived in AL. Every Thanksgiving they’d drive north and I’d drive south and we’d meet in Knoxville. I always had Christmas presents with me, wrapped and labeled. Mom did too. We’d exchange the wrapped gifts at Thanksgiving, each of us driving them home to put under our trees. So we were all prepared for Christmas by Thanksgiving. It was kind of weird watching everyone around us going crazy getting ready while we were pretty much just sitting around.
I leave our tree up until the 6th of January, which drives my neighbor crazy. She tries teaching this old dog new tricks, but I stubbornly insist on the old rules. But I know how it feels, I can’t stand to look at Christmas houses at the beginning of November. It hurts me inside. 🙂 🎄
Nice work!
Thank you, Beth.
Good’on’ya, as we say in Australia ! A fabulous-looking tree with double the ornaments most are graced with 🙂 ! But my eyes are set on the look in Vader’s eyes – there seems to be a definite ‘What is going on’ question there – what a fine looking dog there as part of the family! Well, now you are all ready . . . may you have the warmest and happiest days to remember . . .
I normally don’t add links to a comment, but I think you might enjoy this post about ‘Baby Vader’.
American Christmas trees are full of decorations and lights, it was something that I didn’t want to like at first, but of course I adapted. Yet, lately I find myself wishing for a simpler tree, a Swedish one very simple, or an Austrian one, with straw stars and wax. I need to remember this next year.
The tree is gorgeous. Plus it was a great Christmas story.
Thank you, Jan. I appreciate it. Merry Christmas.
The tree is lovely, and well done on completing all projects on time. I hope you have a gorgeous, restful Christmas and that the New Year is full of good health, rewarding work, and peaceful contentment.
Thank you, Peter. I wish you and your wife a peaceful Christmas.