Day 196

11/27/22

Ask anyone!!! I am a Christmas Girl! Typically, after the trick-or-treaters have evaporated, I am scurrying around taking Halloween decorations to the basement and bringing up the Christmas trees! I love Christmas!

The true meaning of Christmas resides in my heart and comes to the forefront this time of year. Along with that inner wonder comes the shopping, baking, decorating and lights!

We were out looking at lights this evening and I am not the only one who loves the glow. Many homes are awash with bright lights in the night. It is such a selfless act to put up a display for others to enjoy and I love every single bulb!

When I was a little girl, I remember my Nanny's pinecone tree full of lights. She also had a silver metal creation with accompanying "wheel of color"...she was ahead of her time! My Aunt Marion hung her tree from the ceiling and my other grandmother had those bubble lights that made a huge impression on my young heart.

We always had a real evergreen in the front bay of the house. We would go out, ALWAYS on the coldest day of December, and freeze while finding just the right one! There was a year when we had a short needled tree that was quite beautiful. It was only admired for about three days as we came downstairs one morning to find all the needles on the floor! We always got long needled trees from then on!

When my children were little, we had artificial trees that were lovely to look at, but didn't offer the aroma of the real thing! I decided we needed to add a real evergreen to the holiday decorations (I didn't want the kids to think all trees came out of a box!), so we grabbed my four and a few friends and headed out! It was magical!

There was that year when DEAR Arthur, our first beloved Golden, did not realize the tree was there for decoration. I can just imagine what he thought..."Indoor plumbing! They really do think of everything in this house! He did what male dogs are prone to do and I couldn't help laughing as I cleaned up the mess!

During the darkest time of the year, lights seem to offer hope and comfort. It is as if they are fending off the darkness with their glow. Perhaps, that is what draws me to the trimmings of this season. Cozy, warm, inviting lights to remind us all that darkness can be a beautiful thing. After all, if it were not the dark, we would not be able to appreciate the lights.