Friday, December 20, 2013

What's on your Tree?

 I love to investigate what gets
hung on Christmas trees.

I remember as a kid
draping silver tinsel on the tree.
We'd do it neatly for a while
 
until we got bored 
 and then end up just tossing it haphazardly on.
We'd always answer,
 we were trying
to reach the higher branches.

Of course, 
 it would all have to be taken off 
when the tree was taken down
and laid carefully back in the boxes
 to be recycled again for next year.

Our tree doesn't have tinsel,
but it does have some rather unusual things.
Instead, it's decorated with objects
we've collected
during the years that reminds us
 of where we've been
or what we did.

So for example,
do many people have a naked David statue
hiding ( actually, not too well hidden)
among the tree boughs?

How about a Chinese Santa
from Beijing
,
sporting a communist red star and sickle
in his pack?

Or a bottle of Chianti
next to a Tijuana Santa, 
next to the Three Wise Men?

This year we added a few more treasures.
An ice cream cone from 
visiting Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory
and a chocolate box cover from Vermont.
(The chocolates were consumed long ago!)

The ancient stone markings
from Newgrange, Ireland,

along with a few other reminders
 

of our fabulous trip to Ireland.

 We also included 
the famous
6 toed cats from Ernest Hemingway's 
home in Key West, Florida.

It's always a ritual to look at
and remember the circumstances around
each new object that's added to
our continually growing collection.

And then as the new year begins,
we start collecting all over again,
because each new year brings 
new and exciting moments to remember.


Merry Christmas,

9 comments:

  1. Oh My Kyle! You are telling my own family story with the tinsel on the Christmas tree - my mom would get SO mad at us when it started getting thrown on! What a fun memory. And after a few years the metal strips would become crinkled and creased - the newer stuff was made of plastic and we enjoyed stretching it out till it broke - what naughty kids! LOL I love all your ornaments with a story and memory behind them - makes for a very special tree!

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  2. Your tree is so personal; I love that! We pick up an ornament when we travel, but now you have me thinking of other special things that I could make ornaments from. Growing up, we didn't use tinsel, but I remember my dad spraying flocking on the tree in the garage!

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  3. Your tree reminds me of my mom and dads. They have always had souvenir ornaments hanging on their tree. Very special and fun to recall all the good times!

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  4. What wonderful memories all those ornaments bring about! I love that! I used to pick up ornaments as souvenirs, too, but haven't in a few years. I guess the tree is getting too full for any more! lol

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  5. I love our hodge podge tree and each year picking out our favorite ornaments and trips! my tree only has a few but someday it will be full of memories too!

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  6. i love tinsel. Wonderful travel ornaments. I love how our trees reflect our lives.

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  7. Do people use tinsel any more? I don't think I have seen a picture of a tree with it on for a long, long time. Our first year married, someone loaned us a silver aluminum tree. Those were the rage. And a rage I am glad is long over.

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  8. I remember those days, too Kyle!! Decorating the tree with tinsel did keep us busy and out of moms hair...for awhile anyway :)

    What fun memories you have collecting usual and special ornaments for your tree.

    Merry Christmas to you Kyle and your love ones.

    Hugs, Carolyn

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