Finding Christmas

In my Garage!

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Oh...I love these stockings!

Not mine...but I found some in my bins of stuff just as good. 

Because, last night I got brave and did something I've put off for years.

I ventured into my garage which can be a scary place since there is no light and it 

gets darker and darker the further back you go.

Back at the back was a stack of storage bins full of my OLD Christmas stuff.

Things I have not seen in almost ten years.

I kept putting off looking in them.

Too many memories.

My things hold the memories of everything that happened when I got them or when I used them.

The last time I'd seen these things...my Dad had been to my house for Christmas.

I thought I was going to have years and years with him.

The next Christmas he was gone...and I couldn't bare to open those boxes

and see those things full of hope.

I started over from scratch collecting different things after that.

But this year....I remembered decorations in there that I thought would be nice 

to add to my current stuff and I guess that means I am moving forward.

Because I was able to look at them.

Still memories flooded me as I opened those boxes and found items

that immediately brought back to mind where I was in my life and my hopes and dreams at 

the time I'd bought them.

I'm really trying to live in the present these days and not think back. 

****************

I have been lacking in posts this week because my Mom has been going in for some tests

and looks like she'll be having open heart surgery soon.

Another test next Monday and then we'll know more about when it will be.

My dearest cousin Shelly asked me once why so many people we knew were having health 

problems and giving us such pain.

(She herself fighting a losing battle with cancer at the time)

I told her it was because we had so many people in our lives.

We cared about so many...that was why we had so many making us sad.

People who don't have many to worry about...don't have many people in their lives. I reasoned.

My Mom is a very strong person...in very good health except for a heart valve that has quit functioning

properly. 

Doctor says it genetic...and been headed that way her whole life.

Says I should get checked for it too...I will....but too much going on right now.

We are not worrying. We are just taking care of business.

Making plans for what we'll do during her recovery.

She'll move in with me.

And also making plans for when its all done and she feels herself again.

Right now...I'm on my way to take a purple tinsel tree to my Aunt Jane.

(Shelly's Mom)

It looks something like this but better...it's shaped like a feather tree and is 4 feet tall.

I don't know that she wants a purple tinsel tree but I've got one.

And so she is getting it. I figure she needs a little Christmas and it needs to be totally different than 

anything she's had in the past since we lost Shelly last year at this time.

I found it in my garage.

I'd ordered pink and purple came instead one year.

The pink one is here in my house.

Last week I helped my friend, Deidra with her purple tree.

I had hoped to go over and take photos but that didn't happen with Mom and all.

Several years ago, I was with her when she bought a tree much like this...but taller...5 feet.

She's from New Orleans so she loved that it was purple.

She put all kinds of ornaments on it and threw mardi gras beads all over it.

The next year she moved.

When I walked into her new place at Christmas...the tree was up...

but it was missing the whole top section!

It was completely decorated but was flat on top.

I exclaimed, "Where's the rest of your tree?"

She said..."Oh..I knew you'd say something. Only you would notice part of it is missing."

"No", I said, "Everyone is going to notice the top half of your tree is gone. 

It's not a Christmas tree anymore. It's a Christmas bush."

She was getting ready to have a Christmas party and her family in town for Christmas so 

I stressed we either needed to find the top or go get a new one.

She claimed the top had been lost in the move.

She said she absolutely was not going to do anything about it.

It looked fine.

Well, a week later when her sister came to visit, she walked in the front door and the first thing she said was,

"Where is the top of your tree!"

Deidra said..."Oh....Nita said you'd notice."

Her sister, Toni said...."Well of course I noticed. One third of it is missing."

So two years later, last week, I'm at Deidra's and she is saying she is going to put up the tree.

I ask if she found the top.

She says she did but now has forgotten where it is again.

I say..."Ok, we are going to go get a new one....I am not looking at that thing again."

She refuses.

Then I say..."Ok, how about we buy a small tree and stick that in to be the top."

She likes that idea.

So after a few stops around town we go to Big Lots and find the perfect small purple tinsel tree

to stick in and fix her tree. It was only $16!

Only problem was...it was a little lighter in color and a little more pink....but still purple.

We brought it home...I stuck it in and we decorated and 

her tree is now 6 feet tall...and is an ombré tree. It goes from light purple to dark.

I announced this very excitedly.

She said..."Whatever that means."

She did admit it looked much better than the topless version.

She called her sister Toni to tell her how great it looked.

She told Toni..."Nita says it's an ombré tree...whatever that is."

Toni exclaimed..."How Chic!"

Deidra said, "Of course she knew what you were talking about. No one else would."

But I know all of you will know and explained as such to her.

And that is the end of that story.

Ok....I'm off to run to my Aunt's.

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