Happy Monday, Everyone!!! A most happy Monday to the best Godmother in the Universe!!!! TJ!!!!! Today is HER special day. If you know her, call her up and tell her to kick up her heels!
This weekend was so full, I hardly know where to begin. It started with an adventure in Christmas tree shopping. MM and I both own widow/widower trees. Mine is tall and skinny, his is tall and fat. Both are lighted. Both are in their respective corners. But, as with so many things on which we agree, neither were not the tree we’d hoped for when we picked them out.
For many years, I’ve depended more on live poinsettias to show my Christmas spirit. I have them everywhere. A trio hero, a single there, I was up at dark:30 on Black Friday to purchase them at the local Lowe’s. So far, I’ve lost one. The others are thriving. In the dining room stands my very skinny, tall lighted imitation Christmas tree.
Try as I might, each year, the thought of decorating a Chinese tree made of metal and plastic doesn’t capture any sort of spirit. Christmas 2020, I decided that a lighted tree with a skirt was all Winterpast needed. No ornaments. Just the tree. With all the poinsettias, a tree skirt, and the lights, it works nicely.
A REAL Christmas tree should be something that involves a little vacuuming, a bald spot that needs to be camouphlaged, a tree stand that doesn’t quite hold the tree in the right way, and the constant threat of fire. At least, the trees of my favorite memories involve those things. VST was thrilled when I finally gave into the Chinese version.
MM’s tree, on the other hand, was a lovely tree. Lighted and clothed with a velvety tree skirt, it sat in the corner of his family room proud as could be. When I first saw his tree, I was impressed. It was lovely in every way, but not in the ways that pleased HIM.
After talking it over, we decided to form the JOLLY Christmas tree partnership. JOLLY is one of those crazy made of words made by blending our first names. In this case, it just works. We’d purchase a tree that would put these two to shame. 2022, it will reside at MM’s house, 2023, at mine. Joint custody of a most beautiful tree.
After a few hours of team work, the 7.5 snow covered tree is a thing of beauty. A few ornaments of his, a few of mine, his angel and tree skirt, and both our efforts, the tree is sits complete with it’s first present underneath. As for the placement, I’m quite okay with enjoying my poinsettias and the very skinny tree that still sits in my dining room corner.
All day Saturday, the threat of snow hovered over us with heavy cloud cover. An atmospheric river was moving in bringing the possibility of torrential snow and rain. Maybe. At least, possibly on Donner Pass. It could happen.
Let’s just back up.
In the winter, it snows in the Sierra’s. It rains in the flatlands of California and Nevada. Clouds form. The rains come. There is not need to call a winter storm by a terrifying name. Can we please just call a cloud and raindrop by less sinister names? As it turned out, it was too warm to snow, so a lovely rain fell throughout the night.
Saturday night, the entire town turned out for the Christmas Parade of Lights. Children were cartwheeling next to the road. Babies were snuggled in strollers. Someone brought a fire pit to warm their hands. An adult woman (we hope) dressed in bunny PJ’s which MM didn’t understand. If you don’t get the connection, please, please, please watch the movie, “A Christmas Story”.
Soon, police cars went blazing by, lighted in all their glory announcing the beginning of the parade. It wasn’t the longest parade. We didn’t have helium balloons standing 20 feet tall and tethered by tenders. Nope. Just a small town parade of a few residents that lighted up their floats and vehicles to drive down Main. Candy canes passed out to waiting children and a good time was had by all.
To finish the perfect Saturday, MM and I returned to a pot of bubbling hot Clam Chowder. Perhaps the best I’ve ever made, I finally prepared a recipe that impressed. Served with Red Lobster Cheddar Cheese biscuits drenched in butter, it was a dinner fit for royalty by the light of the new Christmas tree. A Saturday doesn’t get better than that.
Whatever you do today, make it count. New traditions are necessary in the land of widow’s and widower’s. What worked before doesn’t really matter. Today is all we have. Weave past traditions into today’s actions and move along. The road to Christmas will be filled with many holiday miracles. Be grateful!
More tomorrow.