O Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree is all a glitter this year. Hundreds of small white lights (the warm shade, not those bloody LEDs that blind the eyes), ornaments of red and gold sparkling as is the tinsel, gold of course, twinkling from the furnaces warm breeze.
The Tree brings memories of dad taking me and sis to a neighbour whose side yard was a forest. Row on row of trees propped along his fence waiting to be taken home. It was our decision dad reminded, so sis and I would walk and talk about each one. After the decision was made we dragged the Tree home leaving it in a pail of water til exactly one week before the big day. After a few inches were sawed off, in the Tree came, solidly pinned into the tree holder and the fun would begin.
The Tree has taken on many guises over the years, mostly depending on the trimmers artistic abilities. The few years of au naturale, where the Tree was swagged with ropes of hand threaded popcorn and cranberries, red and green paper chains, beribboned cookies and salt dough figures. It was a day long celebration, stringing freshly popped corn and the parents brewing their own versions of Creme De Menthe and Baileys in the kitchen. Of course the day flew by with both camps sampling each others creations.
In later years the real Tree was replaced with "o the horror" an artificial one. I'm on my third one and the first two are sitting in the basement awaiting new homes. Though me thinks the one from the 70's would fetch a pretty penny on EBay.
These years I love glitter! The more sparkle the better in me eyes. I keep true to the organics with glass ornaments of cones, nuts in shiney reds and golds. Birds of feathers and porcelain mixed with crystal hearts and angels. Not to mention the mini silver disco balls which bring that extra ping ping ping. Did I mention I love sparkle? Sitting in the branches are faeiries collected. They all remind me of events and people in me life. Of course the traditional glass balls of tartan, snowflakes, flowers and a few cobwebbed ones are hanging deep inside reflecting the lights even more. And stars, O the stars which shine brightly, created from metal, papiere mache, beads, enamel, glass, I love them all.
Topping off the Tree is a valued possession. My families Angel thriving in its 57th year. A golden haired angel sitting on a cloud of soft white batting. The yellowed scotch tape belies her age but she sits in the place of honour upon high beaming down as she always has all these many years.