Merry Christmas

December 25:

These days we are savoring the Christmas Branches which adorn our Family Room. Of course, we 3 C's don't cut down a Tree, because that would mean killing it.

Instead, we ask for permission from a Pine Tree to share 1 or more of its Branches. And this year, Hollis shared some Branches (with Pine Cones attached) from the Family Farm. The Boys' Family began planting Pines for Christmas Trees in 1947, the year Richard was born. The original Trees have now grown and produced their own Trees.

Richard fashioned 2 Branches together (1 from Hollis and 1 from the White Pines which grow on the Farm). He anchored them in a 2 Gallon Bucket. We used the Crazy Quilt Tree Skirt that I quilted and embroidered years ago. I never completed it, but it is still quite useful. The images show snapshots of things that were meaningful to the 3 C's.

This year, we have a potpourri of simple and sometimes worn ornaments on our spare little Branches. The lights were from my Mother and Dad. The ornaments include ones from our Family Histories. Some date back to my Family and Richard's. They aren't the fancy schmancy ones that you buy in the store and were made by who knows who under conditions I really would rather not think about. They are the simple ones that return us to our roots of story and place.

We agreed to give away handmade gifts this year. Among other things, I gave away Coupons for "Glinda's Carols" (Carol is my middle name). I promised to play Carols on the Piano at the request of the Coupon Holder. "Joy to the World" has come up. The question has come up as to whether there is a limit to the number of Carols one could select. I never thought about that one. Gotta go. Coupon Holders call.