December Magical Moment #6 Twinkling Trees

[Gingerbug]

I think my favorite memories of Christmas revolve around trees. When I was very small we always had a cedar tree chopped from a field on the farm, by todays standards hardly lovely at all. But to me, it transformed the whole house into a thing of beauty. The focal point of the livingroom, it set the stage for things to come.
Today I've lost count of the number of trees I have...mostly smaller trees. I love to tuck them in corners here or there. Last year after Christmas I bought several sets of battery operated lights, making it easier to have a bit of twinkle in any dark corner. Some trees have ornaments and other just lights. Reminding me of the star that signaled the birth of Christ, they lift my spirits when things get overwhelming or I feel a bit discouraged.
I've played around with theme trees but our main tree is eclectic with both old and new ornaments. Ornaments created by little hands and used for 20 or more years now. Picture ornaments of babies, a tiny Rudolph that my husband gave his mom and she has since passed on to us, and a little baby angel my mom gave us the year our first child was born. I have way more than I need, so sorting them and picking out the ones to use can take a whole afternoon but time passes quickly and soon the tree is twinkling by the window....signaling the real beginning of the most magical time of the year!!!!

What about your tree or memories about trees from the past?

 

[MrsSoup]

When I was little, we always used to go to the Christmas tree farm down the road from our house. We would search until we found the perfect tree. I always got a candy cane from the owner. It was so much fun. Decorating the tree was also great. We've always had an eclectic tree adorned with hand made ornaments by myself and later my brother, as well as ornaments that were handed down to my mom from past generations.

This year was the first year in a very long time I got to help my mom decorate her tree, actually my children helped as well. It feels like it has come full circle. Bringing out all the ornaments and remembering which grade I was in when I made certain ones or where others came from, it's a great trip down memory lane. My mom still has the paper chain I made when I was 3 and that my brother later added on to when he was old enough. I started one this year with my son and when our DD is old enough she can add to it.

 

[coffeenut]

I have three trees that stand out for me. One was from when I was a little girl we had a very full real tree with the big bulbs on it. It was beautiful. My second tree is a silver artificial tree that you had to pull the branches out of the sleive and then put on the tree. We had glass balls and a revolving light for it. I loved watching it change colors. The third tree that stands out was a green artificial tree that we had. The stand that we put it in was very special because my uncle had made the stand. It was shaped like a square with steps leading up and a place to be able to put the village under the tree. There were also 9 places for the bubble lights. I used to love the bubble lights.
I guess I have a 4th tree and it is my own tree that I put up every year. I tried one year not to put it up but I couldn't do it. Christmas Eve found me decorating my tree. :bigsnow:

 

[Holiday Joy]

As a child, I'd come home from school first, walking from the elementary school three blocks away. The winter afternoon would be casting shadows, and the inside of the house starting to darken. I'd walk in the door of the empty house (we never locked our house during the day -- that seems so strange now) and plug in the Christmas tree lights. No mini lights for us, these were the larger Christmas light bulbs, all different colors. Most would glow continually, but some would be special 'twinkle' bulbs. We called them 'blinkers'. As soon as these 7 or 8 blinkers would warm up, they'd begin flickering on and off in random rhythms, reflecting off the strands of silver tinsel icicles draped over each branch. I'd lay down on the couch in the darkened livingroom and watch the changing patterns of color that the dancing lights made on the ceiling. It was peaceful time, a magical time, a time that was all mine. In a half hour or so, my two big sisters would get off their bus from the high school, flick on the lamps and turn on their loud music or the television. Mom would come home from work. The peaceful silence would be broken. But for a glorious half hour every afternoon, the house and the tree were mine alone.
Gingerbug, thank you for prompting this memory for me!