Christmas trees

The tree is up and decorated! It takes me two days to put all of the ornaments on -- and then I will be rearranging them throughout the season. I always think that maybe one will catch the light better here, or fill in a gap here.

Anyway, the lighted tree with all of the old ornaments looks like magic in our dark living room. The outdoor lights were up first, and the smaller decorations, but it is the tree itself that makes everything look like Christmas for me. There are ornaments the children made in elementary school, and gifts from friends and co-workers, a pair of baby shoes both girls wore, and the lovely hand blown ornaments I have added to one by one through the years. There are two sets of ornaments made by Janice Bracewell, my third daughter, with all of our names. They are so pretty and hang in bunches, one on each side of the tree. There are the ornaments we have purchased as we travelled, holding memories of many places we visited. And there are the cat ornaments -- a whole herd of them marching down the front of the tree. Each needs to be savored before it is placed on what seems like the perfect spot on the tree -- until tomorrow, when I will decide it isn't and move it.

The tree transforms our living room. Maybe it is a symbol of this season. There is something about the holidays that makes everyone want to be Santa Claus.

Our friend Mary worked at a craft fair booth last weekend to benefit another county's animal shelter. They sold enough crafts, but what really surprised her was the number of people who simply made donations. She said they had never taken in so many. This is exactly what I have been seeing and hearing throughout this season. Go America! When things get tough we buckle down and help one another.