Traditions - or Not!

             

Tuesday Slice of Life is hosted by the Two Writing Teachers blog.  Go there to visit so many other terrific "slices"!

           I’ve never had a tradition with Christmas trees.  As a child or in my marriage, there has been more than one “thing” we’ve done about “the tree” for Christmas.  Monday, I went to Target and bought a new artificial tree.  I was not happy with a bigger tree last year, and finally found time to shop for a new one.  I discovered a sweet little pre-lit tree that fits just right in one place in my living area. 

           Is this the ideal memory-making event for Christmas?  Maybe?  I’ve found that doing things during the holidays, and perhaps every other day has more to do with the attitude I use than what happens in the event.  I went to Target, found just the tree I imagined, stopped at Starbucks for chai, and went home to put it up.  It was a good time. My granddaughter will be over later in the week to help with the trimming.  We’ll play Christmas music, read some special books, and she’ll help me.  We’ll make memories!

Imagining all the different trees through the years.

          What other slices of times did I remember today as I made the big trek to Target?   I grew up in a small town until I was twelve.  In that town, my grandfather was a leader, a farmer part-time, and he sold feed.  He had a huge flatbed truck that was used several years in a row for going to the woods to cut and bring back the huge, cedar, town Christmas tree.  I got to go!  We drove deep into the woods, looking for a beauty.  Others drove along too, to help cut and tie the tree on the truck bed.  It was a special time to be with my Pop.  I also looked forward to the lighting of the tree later when Santa appeared and gave out small bags of candy that each also held an orange.  This was long enough ago that oranges just were not available everywhere, so were a unique treat.

           In my married life, we had small trees, huge trees, and finally artificial trees.  We traipsed into the Rockies to cut our trees some of those years, and through Christmas tree farms other times.  We gave tree-trimming parties when we caroled our neighbors first, and trimmed with just the kids some years.  Sometimes their friends helped too.  It rarely mattered who was helping, but we always had a tree, and lovingly brought out the ornaments, many of which, like some of you, have stories attached.  A few years ago I parted with quite a few because I gave my grown children the ornaments that belonged to them for their own family trees.   It’s now fun to see some of those on their trees.

 

my kitchen tree

         In addition to the bigger tree, one constant about Christmas trees has remained dear.  On Thanksgiving evening I put out my kitchen tree to start our Christmas season.  I found this tree years ago and have added kitchen-y ornaments to it as I find them, have tied ribbon to cinnamon sticks and made little walnut ornaments for it.  It has become special to me, and is one tradition I won’t lightly forgo.  Traditions can be safely kept, but it’s okay to make new ones too, I think.  Holidays can mean happy changes, which start new traditions.  Whatever you celebrate, I hope you all have good old times, new times--those that are meaningful no matter what.

first photo credit: vereiasz via photopin cc