The Christmas tree lights didn't disappear in the last move after all. Ben knew where in his garage to find the box. I untangled strands and plugged them in according to standard procedure. The first string of lights gave a feeble gasp and then nothing, so off with their heads! Okay, out to the dumpster. I've wrapped one strand around an artificial ficus. I may keep it that way all year and add hearts for Valentine's Day. A Tree of Life. Plenty of lights left to tack on the front porch to usher in the season of light. And still sets to give away. The top of the tree has to have an angel or a star. Since I haven't pruned the angels yet, the star has it.
I found a set of Chrismons made of dough painted white, glazed and decorated with blue glitter. They were stored in a tin Saltine Cracker box. (Remember when Saltines came in tin boxes?) Abi and I made them during Advent of Rebekah's first Christmas, 1981. Abi had turned three that fall. I still have some of the ornaments she painted. Rebekah was strapped in a baby tray on the table so she could see what we were doing. She liked looking at pretty things. As I was a columnist for the weekly small town paper, I wrote about making the ornaments, including the dough recipe. One of my acquaintances asked to come over to see them. Sure! She looked them over and sniffed, "They sounded a lot prettier than they actually look."
When I was in kindergarten I helped my Mom make Christmas candles. She poured hot paraffin into tin cans, then added the wicks--hazardous, yes. When they were set and cool and out of the cans, she whipped more hot paraffin, added red and green food coloring to two batches, and frosted the cooled candles. I especially liked the candles she frosted in white. We threaded gold sequins and beads on pins and stuck them into the frosting before it cooled solid. Glitter, my yes. Mom kept a few candles, sent some to the church bazaar, and gave others away with plates of cookies.
Mmm, holiday cookies. Another day. Secret family recipes to come . . .