This tree has withstood six seasons so far…this is its seventh. It originated at my bridal shower, as a “recipe tree”, and was made by a local farmwife, just for me.
My husband originated many of the “manlier” ornaments, and all the “real” ones are my childhood keepsakes.
This post has no point; I just thought I’d share.
Besides, I decided that this, and yesterday’s post, are the first in a series of (hopefully) daily “Advent Posts…and Beyond” - clear until we ring in the New Year. Many of the others will be a little more constructive than this. 
I’ve decided to space out our decorating and other Christmas preparations over many days…a little here, a little there, to make the fun last longer, and be a little more fresh. Sunday, we lit a special candle to mark the first day of Advent, set aside for “Hope”. Yesterday, we dug out the tumbleweed tree, brushed off some of the cobwebs, and straightened the brasses and playing cards, which never come off.
Let me know what you like best about getting ready for Christmas. (Sorry, this excludes those of you who don’t celebrate it. I may write sometime about my experimentation with that sort of thing…but that’s another post.) In the meanwhile, I’ll be thinking about the topic, so I can answer my own question.
Until tomorrow, remember Who is worth hoping in.
I have not always enjoyed Christmas, or the preparations, for the most part. However, I have always enjoyed is the smells of Christmas. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, egg-nog, fresh cut pine, apple cider… do I need to keep going? Sugar cookies, and fresh frosting. Gingerbread baking (even if it does taste awful), and fruit bread (not to be confused with fruit cake).
Christa, The scents and foods you mention are certainly things I can appreciate, as well.
However, as I contemplated this last night, I decided that what I like best about preparations is finding out other tradtions, and incorporating them as desired – things like European recipes, new stories, new music, a different outlook.
I strive to keep some things always the same for my family, because I remember how important my mother’s yearly traditions were to me as a child. Yet, I remember that she also tried new things year to year – a different way of decorating the tree or house, a new theme for the Christmas Day dinner, a new way of coming up with gifts for us and for friends.
So what am I doing differently this year? An Advent countdown is something neither my mother nor I ever did before, and since I chose not to use a tradtional calendar with treats, etc., I am enjoying the challenge of thinking up things for us to do, while we anticipate celebrating Christ’s birth with family and friends. I also have some new recipes in mind, and Billy is old enough now to share some “new” stories with him.
Love the tumble-weed!