Woodworth: Reflecting on her warm Christmases of yore
Winter solstice occured on Dec. 21. The sun entered the deep winter constellation of Capricorn on the same day. This year, the Christmas cold front should be relatively weak, reducing the likelihood of a white Christmas across the East and across the lower Midwest.
Nationwide, the East and South have already had Christmas snow. It seems to have come to places like Atlanta, Georgia that don't know what to do. No plows, no salt, no one who knows how to drive on ice and snow. The kids are loving it, snowball fights, sledding, and snow to eat. Wonder how many mothers know how to make snow ice cream?
The solstice brings winter, which I could do without. It brings the shortest day of the year. From whence forth the days will slowly grow longer-hooray!
Christmas scene #1: School is finally out for Christmas. When Mom comes home, she brings the tree that she bought for her room. Since she had this one, she didn't see why we should have another at home. It would have been nice to have a decorated tree early like most of our friends, instead of having to wait until the day before Christmas Eve. It was a tree and we were ready. The tree went into a bucket of sand and bricks, left over from many years of trees.
The lights were strung and the old ornaments hung. With mom in charge, a box of tinsel would cover the largest tree. Of course, it always had a bit left over from school. Tinsel went on a strand at a time. Mom divided the box between the three of us. If you wanted to throw it on by the handsful, you could, but once your share was gone, that was it.
After the tree, the rest of the house was decorated. Choirboy/girl/angel/candles, the creche that was probably older than us, a sprig of mistletoe hung in the center of the arch between the living and dining rooms, candles, all except the mistletoe had been packed away in the same boxes in the same order in the closet.
Then, presents wrapped and put under the tree. We could open presents from school or other parties, but anything that went under the tree stayed there till Christmas morning. Many years, I looked at that bounty and really and truly believed that I would die before Christmas morning came.
Christmas scene #2: Brother brought our trees. It usually was a cedar or a pine that he found in the forest, cut and hauled home. Like magic it would appear on the front porch. It went in the the usual bucket of sand and brick, thought one year the old bucket rusted through and water went everywhere.
The sand and brick were transferred to a new bucket and all went as before. The best side had to be turned to the window. No one questioned why those passing by got to see the good side while those in the house had to look at the holes and lopsided branches. Just the way it was. One year, we decided that carrying the bucket from the basement was getting to be a chore, so we bought a new-fangled tree stand.
Mom and I got the tree in its proper position and I turned the screws that held it firm. Everything was fine until Mom decided that it needed to be tweaked just a bit. I stood there too shocked to do anything while the tree, stand and all, slowly toppled. My 5-foot Mom tried to catch it. She had it until it took her to the carpet, and there she was, with a Christmas tree on top of her. When I found out she was OK, I made her hold the tree until I could fetch the bucket, sand and bricks. Then, Christmas decorating went on in the prescribed manner.
Christmas scene #3: Norman Rockwell: Father and children leave the farmhouse and walk through the pasture to the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree--tree is cut and carried home on the children's sled. Hollywood: The family drives over the hill and through the woods to find the perfect tree. If they live in the city, they drive to a Christmas tree lot to find that seven foot tree that will touch the ceiling of the parlor. When the perfect tree is cut or bought, it is tied on the top of the car, which always is a station wagon.
I had never seen a tree lashed to the top of a car, until last week. In the Kroger parking lot, there was car with a real live tree bungee cord tied to the top. I so wanted to wait for it to leave, so I could follow its trip home. Decided that was just a little too odd, even for me. (If it were your tree, thank you for making a Christmas story come to life.)
Blessed be your holidays, cozy be your hearth, Merry be your family, Peaceful be your hearts. I wish you a Christmas filled with joy and laughter and the love of friends and family.
Merry Christmas to you all.