It's Beginning to Look ...

Two years and two and a half months after Her Horribleness roared through town I'm finally decorating my own house for Christmas!

My son and I decorated the tree this evening. It took two trips to the store to get enough lights to replace the ones that didn't survive effectively three years of non-use. It's been a blessing to see my old friends - the ornaments that have been a part of my family story.

Many of them are ornaments my mom gave me and my son each year, a history of interests and, for my son, growing older. Others are part of our family tradition of choosing a box of new ornaments for the tree, which developed after my divorce and the loss of many of the ornaments we already had. Then there are those that are special gifts: the cardinal ornament from when I was director of Baby Redbird Day school, the nativity scene in the pale blue "egg" given to me by a beloved friend, the baby picture ornament made by my aunt, the stuffed cloth angel made by a co-worker, and all of the others.

They've been in hiding for such a long time. It's wonderful to see them again!

The Christmas boots (yes - Texas boots made of red and green felt) are hung, not by the chimney (no chimney in this house), but on the wall in the main family area. The ceramic Christmas tree that's lit by an interior light bulb and plays a Christmas carol is in its traditional place on the table in the living room. My three nativity scenes now reside in places of honor.

I have a few things that I haven't quite figured out where they belong now that some of their resting places have changed. And I still have to drape the bazillion miles of tinsel garland that in the past I've draped in the ironwork kitsch in the entryway. I just didn't feel like working with my arms over my head this evening.

Finally, I have a mystery to solve. In one box, I found the exterior light strands - 4 sets of large outdoor lights that run along the eave of the front of the house in the clips I put up when I first moved into the house. AND there are three strands of slightly smaller outdoor lights. *scratches head* Now where the heck did I put those up in the past? I haven't the foggiest idea. Any suggestions?