I'm not one to begin decorating early. I subscribe to the premise that if you limit exposure to something, you appreciate it more. It's that way with everything. If you ate your favorite dish every day, it wouldn't remain your favorite. I don't want to give my decorations time enough to become everyday, know what I mean? But I did start yesterday with just a few items. Of course I have those central pieces, those old favorites that must appear every year. I do get easily attached to holiday decorations and hesitate to discard any. Last year, while packing things up I did manage to retire a few. This year I donated a rather large blow up Santa to the town. I had purchased that on an impulse a few years ago. The problem with it is that it is eight foot tall and I have a seven foot ceiling on my porch. I suppose I could have just put it in the front yard but I rent an upstairs apartment. Not that anyone would have objected but it doesn't seem right. Anyway, I gave it to the town and they have it displayed. Makes me happy to think the kids in town will get to enjoy that.
This year I will have a limited amount of Christmas décor around the house. The main reason is Morris. Morris is my cat and like all cats very curious about everything. He already toppled my small tabletop Christmas tree. My apartment is rather small but roomy enough for us two. I have a stable that my grandson helped me build many years ago. I have porcelain Nativity figures that are quite old now and fear Morris might attack them so that set will not be displayed this year. It's alright though I have decided to scale back this year anyhow. I decorated my porch with the traditional strings of light, some boughs of green festooned with bows and large tree style ornaments. I have an artificial tree that I sometimes put on a table on that porch but haven't decided about that yet. I don't know, maybe.
I am a sentimental person though I try not to show it. I give it away in my writings though. But every year I get sentimental when unpacking the Christmas stuff. It's remember this and remember that? I have an ornament, handmade using toothpicks and a regular old piece of string. That ornament was made by a man named Williams. That was his last name and I knew him as Willy. We served on the same ship back in 1981. I know he came from Texas and little else. What his full name was I couldn't say. Still I have that little ornament and think about Willy every Christmas. There are other trinkets like that, some handmade and some store bought. I'm sure you know what I mean. Then there are those things gifted to you. I wouldn't discard them, not after someone gave them to me. Some sit on a shelf in the attic, been there for years, but I can't bring myself to throw them away. Some I don't remember who even gave it to me in the first place. Well I've had that for years so I better hold onto it. Someone else can throw it out later on.
This year I discovered that Walmart sells pieces of white birch. Now white birch is special to me because of my grandmother. Grandmother Bennett came from Sweden. Naturally she brought some of her traditions with her, from the old country, as she would say. One of those traditions was a yule log. Always made from white birch she insisted on having one every year. My own Mother carried that tradition on and we had a Yule log at my home every Christmas as well. I would go with my brothers into Northwest woods and get a piece off a white birch tree. We never cut down the whole tree, just a good sized branch. A piece about four inches in diameter works the best. We would gather the greens as well, drill holes for the candles, and use smaller pieces for the feet. I haven't had any white birch in many years and so was excited to discover it. I immediately made three Yule logs. One for Mom, one for my daughter in law and one for myself. I mailed the one to my mother and it made her very happy. She hasn't had a Yule log in many years. She couldn't remember the last time in fact and neither could I. A Yule log was a staple of our decorations at home. You just had to have that. And this year I have a small piece of that once again. Tradition. It is said the Vikings would inscribe runes upon the Yule log and decorate it with greens before burning it in celebration. I expect the candles symbolizes that. I decorate that log with greens but no runes.
My decorating is almost done for this year. Just a few more little things and I will call it good. I have a small tree surrounded by the same things I put out every year. It's enough. Christmas is a spirit, not a thing. I don't require a great deal to enjoy that spirit. Spent more than one Christmas at sea during my Navy days and still felt that spirit. I was alone with about 1100 other men all wishing they were home for Christmas. And the thing is, we were. Each Christmas is special in its' own way, from the laughter of children to the memories of us old folks. I still laugh about giving the grandson a drum set when he was five! Saw him beat on it Christmas day but don't recall ever seeing it again. One year the granddaughter wanted a giant stuffed animal, got her a huge one. Enjoyed for a short time, then it disappeared to who knows where. But that isn't the point is it. No, it's the spirit. The spirit really has nothing to do with things.
My Yule log, and yes I got my hippopotamus for Christmas on the lower
left. My grandson played with that hippo and I added it to my collection
of memories.
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