Decorating.

Earl dragged me into the holiday season today by insisting that we begin decorating the house. So we cleaned the downstairs (tomorrow it’s the upstairs) and hauled the decorations up from the cellar. We’re going to wait until next weekend to put up the Christmas tree, but we began by putting up various trinkets around the house.

One of my most treasured decorations is the ceramic Christmas tree that I inherited from Grandma City. Grandma City was the bees’ knees when it came to arts and crafts, and she passed her talents on to various family members. Originally a gift to Grandma from her daughter-in-law, this tree sat prominently in the front window every Christmas season. When I see this tree I am easily transported to half my height and 30+ years ago, and all the excitement I felt with the arrival of the Christmas season. Having the tree in the dining room is like having the whole family over for dinner.

Grandma City's Ceramic Christmas Tree

Among the other decorations we put up included a mini Christmas tree that usually goes on my desk at work. Since I’m not working full-time, we opted to put up the tree on one of the end tables in the Great Room. Chick and Cow dressed for the occasion and posed for the camera.

Chick and Cow