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| Our Tree-in-Waiting |
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How do you do Christmas after combining two long lives into one new marriage? Roy and I briefly considered scrapping all of the old and starting fresh, but grandparents just can't do that. We bought a wonderfully fragrant balsam fir at Home Depot, this being Metro West Boston, and stored it in the shady corner of the deck while we made a trip to Maine to check on my house and bring down more stuff. In this case, "stuff" included one carton of Christmas ornaments quickly culled from the cases in the cold, cold attic.
Back in Wayland, we settled the tree into Roy's cast iron stand. There were many strands of lights. I tentatively offered the string my kids called the "hula lights," not knowing how Roy might feel about the raucous flashing. He went off to his office, leaving a grateful me to lace the tree with the hulas. Our compromise, that when he is present we run them on "steady."
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| Helena's crochet magic |
Next, I added the ornaments I had brought. Red balls covered with sister-on-law Helena's crochet netting. A couple of my angels. A couple of my birds. Two each of ornaments made by daughters Leah, Rachel. A couple of my own creations. Same with the mantel. On one side of Roy's clock, I put my athletic snowmen, the Christmas cupboard miniature made by sister-in-law Elaine, and a lump of coal.
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| In 1981 Santa drove a van. |
Then I called for Roy who brought up from his cellar tubs of ornaments, most of them more elaborate than mine. On went Santa in a truck. On went Santa in a cargo plane. On went a tiny mouse, and a tiny seal kissing noses with an Eskimo toddler. My single icicle blended in with his many.
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| Bride's side |
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| Animated ornaments |
On the groom's side of the mantel went several of his treasures. Underneath we strung some of his collection of electrically animated ornaments. Santa twirling in a space ship. A train running round a mountain. A city with both train and subway running. A Salvation Army band playing. An angel with a glowing lantern.
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| Our Russian doll |
His glowing star trumped my straw angel, which modestly retired to a lower branch. The final touch is the Russian doll bought on our recent trip to the Museum of Russian Icons -- our first jointly owned ornament.
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| The Man of the House by our tree. |
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| Dancing lights at Christmas 2010 at Roy and Sara's home. |
