For the past week or so, our son has greeted us with the usual “Good Morning”, followed by telling us how many days are left until Christmas.    Last week, we finally bought our tree, and decorated it.    In the past we’ve gone to tree lots on the side of the busy street in the middle of town, the lot at the home improvement store and last year, we actually went to a tree farm and cut our own.   We have a tradition every year of buying a dozen donuts to snack on later while we decorate the tree (December is not the time to start a diet in our house!).  Every year, we try to decide on whether or not to use white lights (my choice) or colored lights (Kevin’s choice, which as you can see by the picture is what we went with.  That’s ok, I have a tree on my porch with white lights!) Every year, I see the tree, and think about my history with Christmas trees.

My birthday happens to be in December, and for as long as I can remember, my mom really tried to avoid bringing a Christmas tree into the house until the day after my birthday.   She really wanted to make sure that my birthday felt like a birthday.  I don’t know if she always adhered to that belief, but I do remember that this was how it was when I was a teenager.   On the next day, the birthday was officially over, and all of the Christmas decorations were brought out and hung up!

When I was little, we lived out in the country, where trees were plentiful.  I do have pictures somewhere that my mother took one year, of my dad cutting down a tree somewhere in the pasture across the road from our house.  The cows and I supervised the cutting.  During the remaining years on that property, we went to the tree farm that was across the road and about a half mile away.  Very convenient.

After my parents divorced, a tree wasn’t always in the budget, but my mom would get one anyway, because that is what was a part of the Christmas tradition.  Sometimes, a family in our church, would drive into the woods and cut down Christmas trees for the single mothers and single senior women in our church.   More than once, my mom would leave her place of work at the end of the day and there would be a Christmas tree tied to her car.   She was thrilled and very touched that we were thought of.

After my mom remarried, our first Christmas with my step-father threatened to change her sense of Christmas tradition.  As most people are aware, the Christmas tree doesn’t necessarily stem from any Christian origin.  My step-father decided that we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas with something of a Pagan origin in our house and therefore, no tree.  My mom did not like that idea at all!  She was really down about it and several times told him that we had always had a tree and it just wasn’t Christmas without one.     After about a week, he finally came to the realization that this was a compromise that would not come out in his favor.  So he went outside, and climbed up the Pine tree that was taller than our mobile home, and cut about 4 feet off of the top, and that was our tree.  It was a bit round, so my mom called it our Christmas bush (I don’t think that our neighbors noticed the “flat top” on the tree outside).    The tree issue never came up again.

My mom loved to drape loose tinsel on our trees.  I never cared for it.  Our tree would be so covered in tinsel that we couldn’t see much of the green.  It was also a mess to clean up when Christmas   When I moved out and had my first Christmas tree, I opted for tinsel free.  She probably thought that it looked rather plain.  I remember that my friend Carrie and her parents bought that tree for me, and gave it to me about a week before my birthday.   I went to the store with my sister to buy some lights (blue, to go with the blue/geese theme in my kitchen which was only 6 feet from where the tree stood in my little apartment).   I added all of the decorations that my grandma had given to me over the years (and discovered that I needed to buy some more ornaments  It was a nice little tree!

Anyway, those are some of my memories of one small aspect of Christmas.

Elizabeth 🙂

Our Tree for 2013!

Here in Oregon, we have maybe one good snow per year.  Sometimes it lasts until noon of the same day that it arrived.  Sometimes it lasts more than a day.  We’ve been teased on occasion, by folks in other states, where they have snow more often and for longer periods of time, because here in Oregon, if we are told that an inch of snow is coming, we tend to stay home.    There tend to be mad dashes to the store for those important items like bread, milk, cereal and toilet paper (I did go grocery shopping yesterday, but with more added to that list, like).  Then when the snow does arrive, we get about an inch of it, and kids will get up earlier and easier than usual to listen to the radio for any news of school closures.  I’m not mocking!  I’ve seen it happen and even did it myself when I was a kid.

I will admit, that I am not a big fan of snow.  Because we don’t have it as often, we really don’t have the opportunities to practice and gain the experience needed to drive well in the snow.  We also don’t have all of the snow equipment to clear the streets as you would find in, say, those states and countries that have snow for several weeks.   I am one of those with limited experience driving in the snow (and those few times unnerved me a bit) so I tend to let Kevin drive.

In the early morning hours, the snow came.   When my alarm went off at 6:30AM, I woke up to the DJ talking about school closures.  I looked outside my bedroom window to see the back yard covered in snow!  Then I went into my daughter’s room to look out of her window to see the driveway.  Plenty of snow.  I whispered to her that it was snowing and she mumbled something and kept sleeping (much like I did at her age when my mom would literally bound into my room, open my curtains and say loudly, “IT’S SNOWING!!!!)  Then I went downstairs (and it was still dark) to open the front door and see the snow close up.   Then I went for my camera and snapped a few pictures, because, that’s what I do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not overly excited about snow because it can keep one housebound, but on the other hand, it’s pretty, and makes the world outside peaceful (as long as you don’t live near a busy street).

Since I also homeschool, one might assume that we don’t have snow days because, the snow is not preventing my kids from getting to school.  My kids don’t really play in the snow anymore, however, it’s just an unwritten rule amongst kids that when there is snow, and other schools are closed for snow, then homeschooled kids get the day off too.  That being said, Kylin did go outside for a few minutes, to set up scenes in the snow with toy Polar bears so that he could take pictures of them. 

 

 

 

 

Happy Snow Day!

Elizabeth

 

 

This year’s Thanksgiving deviated a bit from tradition in that we celebrated at our home, just the four of us.

Our car was having issues (which turned out to be the fuel pump needing to be replaced).  Driving the car was inadvisable.  Also, Kevin was experiencing severe back pain (which turned out to be a herniated disc) making traveling the half hour to my dad’s a painful trip.

I felt bad for not being able to see my dad and grandma this year, but the above issues really didn’t allow it.

So, I made dinner at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I probably made too much food for the four of us, but, it was sooo good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, there is no sign of a turkey in my photos as we don’t eat meat here.  It’s been so long since I’ve cooked a turkey, I don’t even remember how to do it!  I think that the last one I cooked, was when I was about 21 and still living with my mother and step-father.  Instead of turkey, we eat Morningstar “Chik’n” patties (for anyone wondering if we’re getting enough protein).

The mashed potatoes were made from my grandma’s recipe.  There’s a lot of cream cheese and whipping cream in that batch!  Probably not Weight Watchers approved, but Ooooooooo so good!

The stuffing is a recipe that my mother gave me and Kevin loves it.  I always make some for the meal, and some to freeze for Kevin to snack on later.  Delicious!

After a very filling meal, we relaxed with movies.   Well, my husband and kids relaxed after cleaning up the kitchen.

Thank you Family!

Elizabeth