2005 Xmas Tassel

Holiday Nostalgia...

I had a lot of help with holiday decorating from the kids, who were understandably tired of my rather grinchy attitude towards it all---I was so disgusted with the overall state of the household 2 years ago I very nearly refused to put up a tree, and last year we weren't around. This year we went back to Arend tree farm with a borrowed mini-van and our closest sib-inlaws, cutting trees, enjoying the wonderful(ly cheap) hot drinks, hot dogs and fresh donuts at the nearby Methodist church, served in their basement, and to me, as close to christmas cheer as you could possibly imagine: the church is fairly old, next to a graveyard, and the basement is small and decorated with a christmasy inexpertise blessedly free of slick merchandising that seems to permeates the shops and malls.

one of several tassels decorating the house during the holidays. This one hangs from the front door along with some bells.

There's a little craft area at one end of the room, the sort of thing you'd expect, like crocheted toilet roll covers, and the other end church ladies stand behind a wobbly counter with signs requesting the customers not lean against it, serving hot chocolate, home-made baked goods and donuts fried on site. Potato chips are 25 cents, the baked goods perhaps 35--50; hot dogs are maybe a dollar or even $1.25. The coffee (if you drink that) is free. As you might expect, they do a roaring business during tree season, and I really do feel as if I've been transported back in time, back when I skated on Palmer Pond as a child and drank hot chocolate---admittedly watery---for 10 cents in the warming house while my toes thawed inside the double-blade-style ice-skates my mom started us all on.

Anyway. F2 the elder and friend decorated the tree quite nicely, and if they hung ornaments from the lights and garlanding, they at least managed not to break any of my favorite ornaments (which is more than can be said for yours truly, who, deprived of the opportunity whilst putting them on the tree, accomplished the feat this year while putting them away); f2 the younger, seeing the 2 dozen odd tassels I'd made years ago in red, green and white, went around and hung them from appropriate knobs throughout the house. I was so touched, as I hadn't bothered in years.

Happy Holidays:)

file created 15jan06