Looking a Lot Like Christmas

Behold, the Christmas tree!

With the help of my wonderful mother, I finally put up this year's Christmas tree.  We picked it out carefully and after much deliberation at Home Depot.  Actually, it was the tree in the front of the pile, and it was so heavy we could barely carry it to the front, where a nice and rather burly man trimmed the trunk and bottom branches before wrapping it netting and tying it to the top of my car.  Hooray!

Once home and secure in its stand, we tucked twinkly white lights between its bushy boughs and then began adorning it with my eclectic collection of ornaments from around the world, gathered on my travels and given to me by friends. There are glass balls from Egypt, cloth camels and wooden bells with desert scenes from Dubai, delicately painted blown eggs and blue ceramic stars from Prague, colorful glass cones and balls painted with country village abodes from Jordan, hand-carved nativity scenes also from Jordan, Santa with a grass skirt and lei from Hawaii, a tiny windmill from Holland, bagpipes from Scotland, and even a big cow's face that I must have picked up at the Ben & Jerry's factory in Vermont.  There are also assorted bells, jolly Santas and snowmen, and two pretty stained glass stars from my Aunt Bev that reflect the light just right.  Every tree-trimming party is filled with exclamations of delighted surprise, as I rediscover ornaments I'd forgotten I had.

Once the tree was sufficiently dressed and the boxes put back in the closet, my mom and I had way too much fun taking pictures of ourselves with the Christmas tree.   

Now it finally feels (and smells) like Christmas.  Thanks, Mom!