Grandma's Christmas Tree

As I've mentioned before more than once, I annually struggle with whether or not to decorate La Casa del Terror for Christmas. Some years, I go all out, with trees and lights and ornaments galore. Other years, everything stays in the closet--not a Santa or reindeer or angel in sight.

Most years, though, fall somewhere in between--modest decorations, with something glowing in the center window of the living room. And that "something" is usually Grandma's Christmas tree.

I know I've told this story before, but here's the condensed version: When Grandma passed away,I inherited the small, lighted plastic pine that she used to display in the living room window of her cottage on McLean Avenue every December until she had to move to a nursing home--and then it stood on her bedside table during the holiday season.

It's an easy thing to put up, really--the lights are permanently affixed to the tree, and most of the ornaments are attached by twist ties. Even the ones on hooks usually hang on when the tree is in storage; those that don't just fall to the bottom of the bag.

The ornaments themselves are an eclectic mix of the traditional glass balls and the mini-figures Hallmark (amongst others) manufacture just for tiny trees like this. I've collected quite a few such ornaments over the years--ceramic snowflakes, wee snowmen, even a miniature Catwoman--from a variety of sources (Hallmark stores, eBay, Uncle Fun, etc.)

This year, was able to add a good many more thanks to my local resale shop, which likes to bundle small holiday-themed items together in plastic bags and sell them in groups. Thus, I was able to add a bunch of "new" ornaments to Grandma's Christmas tree this year, including a pewter carousel horse and a gold-plated cat (which nicely complements the gold-plated reindeer that already dangles there).

Of course, the old issues remain. How much time and/or energy do I have to light the tree during the week, given my often-insane work schedule? Not much. Who is going to see the tree aside from me? Aside from those who happens to notice it as they wander past my window, hardly anyone.

Does any of that matter? Not really. The tree makes me smile whenever I get the chance to light it. And in the midst of another holiday season, I'll take all the smiles I can get.