Dec. 3: Monday meme

Again, this week I take today’s meme from Every, Every Minute. Please respond for yourself in the comments or your own blog.

YourTurn: Do you have any special items of holiday decor that you treasure?

When I was little, I remember our Christmas tree having a pretty wide variety of ornaments. There were some old ones that had probably been in our family for years, but a lot of them were ornaments Kathy or I had made. Decorating the tree every year was always an event involving the whole family. We’d get Andy Williams on the stereo and go through the ornaments one by one to load the tree, then turn off all the other lights in the house and lay in front of the tree for the evening. Happy memories.

When I lived with my dad for a few years in high school, our tree was done in white lights, white pearl garland, red satin balls and red velvet bows. This was all Dad’s decision; I don’t remember Kathy or I being allowed any input, even though we did all the work. (He was such an unusual combination of quirks. Someday I’ll tell the needlepointing stories to solidify that rep.)

When I had my own place—well, the apartments I shared with a roommate or two for six years—I had a more stylish tree. Karen and I bought or made beautiful coordinating ornaments and the whole thing was very “matchy” and Martha Stewart-like. They were the kinds of trees you pose in front of for pictures.

Victor and I have always traveled a lot, and we decided early on that one of the souvenirs we would collect would be Christmas ornaments. I think this started in San Francisco when I found a corny little cable car ornament with holly and garland around it. The other thing we started doing is accumulating ornaments that have special meaning; something to mark a milestone (the purchase of our first home together) or accomplishment (Katie’s first year of soccer) or to commemorate a hobby. I try to find ornaments that have the year on them and we have several with photos too. There’s only one thing we put on our tree that doesn’t have sentimental value of some kind: three strings of small multi-colored satin ball garland. It’s really pretty and kind of ties together the mish-mash of everything else on the tree (tall order!).

The oldest ornament we have on our tree is a wooden stocking I painted in first grade. I love it even though it’s really quite hideous; it usually finds itself on the back side of the tree but I just can’t NOT hang it! One of my favorites is the puppy ornament we purchased in honor of Scout joining our family in 1997. It was the first in Hallmark’s puppy series and, coincidentally, a beagle. I also love the “Baby’s First Christmas” ornaments we have from 2000 and 2001.

We have a lot to add to the tree this year. We got Disney Cruise Line 2007 and Walt Disney World 2007 ornaments in February to mark the celebration of our tenth anniversary. I got an Oregon Shakespeare Festival thing when my girlfriends and I went in July. Jack will have his 2007 soccer ornament (his first and probably last) and Katie will have a new one in honor of starting piano lessons this year. We also have several relating to interests of the kids’ that they’ll open Christmas morning. Shhhhh... can’t yet share the details of those.

Nowadays decorating the tree is a family event and involves Andy Williams, as it should and always will. As I unwrap each ornament we see who can remember its significance, and then Katie and Jack fight over where it should go. After they’ve gone to bed, Vic and I usually rearrange things. Our tree is far from stylish anymore, but I love it. It’s ours. It makes me all warm inside when I sit in front of it and watch the lights twinkle (not blink—horror of horrors, blinking lights!) and illuminate different ornaments, each of which brings back memories of 10+ years gone by. It’s definitely my favorite part of the holiday season’s traditions.