Now that we’ve all enjoyed our Thanksgiving celebrations, it’s time to start – or at least plan – the Christmas decorations. As the years pass, I spend less time and effort decorating my house, but I still do the basics for the family.
Not my house.
I bought a new tree last year (artificial), so that’s probably the first thing that will be set up and decorated. Haven’t had a real tree since:
- The tree trunk went through the storm door.
- The cat tried to climb the tree, and put deep gouges in my forearm when I stopped it.
Also NOT my house.
I love trimming the tree. Many of the ornaments are tied to memories of times past (good ones), and people long gone.
There’s the tiny painted hot air balloon with gondola that I gave to my mother one year, along with a tiny wooden rowboat, a lighthouse, a modern looking chrome and brass reindeer, and a tin merry-go-round.
It’s fun to look at the ornaments with pictures of my grandchildren taken when they were babies and toddlers. Nothing like the giants that they are today.
A wooden bell purchased in Sweden and given to my mother by her minister in the 1980’s. A ceramic wreath made by a friend in his class at Pewabic Pottery about the same time.
Lots of angels, stars, snowflakes, and small creches, made of plastic, and glass, and metal, and ceramic. A metal ornament with the name of my old dog, Sassy. A new ceramic ornament with a picture of my dear dog, Stella.
A couple of Snoopy ornaments. A polar bear. A tiny Lionel steam engine.
My younger grandson always asks me why I have an angel on the top of my tree instead of a star. I haven’t always, but she’s been up there for thirty years or so, looking down on us all (and I like her).
After the tree comes the lighted village which I might dispense with – except the giant teenage grandson loves to look at and play with it. Because it’s a “tradition”. I found out that almost anything I do might be considered a “tradition” by the children!
The stockings. I no longer use the one my mother made for me when I was a baby – the felt one festooned with sequined ornaments, and my name at the top. Instead, I 
use an aqua satin stocking that she also made for me – but as an adult – decorated with sequined sailboat, palm tree and starfish, with a golden sun shining down over it all. My daughter has a similar one in pink satin given to her by Grandma.
The grandsons have their own stockings made of felt with sequined ornaments and their names at the top – this time made by this grandma when they were babies. I made a dark red velvet stocking, lined with silk and trimmed with tie silk in a paisley pattern, for my son-in-law when he married my daughter.
[2016 ADDITION: Last year I made a sequined felt stocking for my son-in-law, at my daughter’s request.]
I might put out a few candles – for atmosphere and scent – and Christmas cards from past years with photos of the family – for remembrance.
I’ll probably put the miniature Christmas tree in the boys’ bedroom, along with a stuffed Rudolph, and a pretty stuffed white cat with a red ribbon around her neck. There is also a lighted “candle” of a snowman that they like, and some old music boxes. They may be big boys, but they love the same old things (those are traditions, you know!) year after year!
There’s a small Hallmark Christmas train (1990’s vintage), and a Santa music box that plays, “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” that settles on the television stand for the season, along with a small stuffed Snoopy in his Santa outfit.
Last, but most important, I will put my small creche in a special place; the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds with their sheep, the three kings with their camels, a donkey, a cow, and an angel looking down on them all.
Whatever your traditions may be, I hope for you a beautiful Advent and Christmas season.
Stella's Place 
ISIS jihadis have a Christmas song called “Slay Bells are Ringing”…wait until Mad Dog gets through with them….he will plant a Christmas Tree up their keisters.
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Joshua, I love you, but not everything is about politics.
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sorry….I was actually thinking about the displaced Christians in the Middle East and how Christmas in not going to happen very easily for them…..not so much the politics, but the liberation and freedom….but, you are right…my bad.
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Geez, I was about to say that “if you’re a Rat parasite evey day’s Christmas…or at least it was until November 8th.”. But if we’re gonna keep politics outta this I won’t.
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A couple of years ago, I finally found a 7 ft. pencil tree, which I had been shopping for for years. I do decorate, but each year I give away some decorations I feel I can do without. I never noticed what a big job it is to put it all out and then back. One of the things I enjoy most is a little Christmas dish set I bought several years ago, a small plate, glass, and mug.
I spent Thanksgiving with my son, DIL, and granddaughter. The day after Thanksgiving, we went out and chopped down a big tree and decorated it. Then we put out the Christmas presents and had an early Christmas before I left. It was really fun. My DIL made Christmas cookies, too.
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Not my house either…
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Wait a minute…..just wait…Nye!!!! How did you take a picture of my tree?????
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now that is seriously funny.
somehow, the tree looks like an airfreshener hanging from some smoker’s auto rear view mirror….
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That’s great!
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Hanging from one of those cheap Chinese back-scratchers (like my brother sent me from China……)
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You’re right ! I hadn’t noticed that added bit of charm 🙂
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Same brother used to wrap his “gifts” in the comic pages from newspapers. You know, back when we used to pay for that crap.
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Yesterday, all day, two young guys were here installing a Pergo floor in my house… Now that’s done so I can decorate… What with moving and all, some things are gone, but I just finished my Gingerbread house…
I found the two green candycane trees at the dollar store…
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Years ago I would do one with my mother… we always laughed…
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I usually do one with my grandsons. I think I’ll get a kit while they are on sale …
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So much easier than baking one… and the icing in the kit is great as glue…have fun!
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The kids (and they are big ones now) aren’t interested in the baking part, and we don’t eat it, so the kit is much more convenient.
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My daughter bought one of the kits to build one with my grandson. It didn’t work out too well, he wouldn’t quit pulling it apart before it had time to set. lol
My precious little boy was kind of a mean little boy today. I went Christmas shopping with my daughter today and at one of the stores Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Tigger, Piglet and Olaf was there. He liked Tigger and Piglet, Olaf he tolerated, Mickey and Minnie he really didn’t like. He told both of them to not touch him, Mickey tried to force this issue and tried to shake his hand, he kicked Mickey and yelled, “I no like mouse, Garfish(his cat) eat you.”
His mom was embarrassed that he kicked Mickey and told him you don’t kick and to say he was sorry. He just kept yelling, ” I no like mouse!” Nanny probably shouldn’t have but she laughed. The overgrown mouse should have listened when he said, “no, no, touch me,” while he waved his finger back and forth.
Being the grandmother instead of the mother sure does have it’s rewards. lol
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tell him to use the up and down keyboard keys and forget about the mouse….
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Super cute.
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My neighbors have a tree just like the one at the top of the thread… It is the most immense spectacular thing… it must be 9 ft… It is breathtaking,, and a bit comical, because our houses are very modest, and it fills most of the room… 🙂 I put my tree on a milk crate, covered with a cheerful red cloth. This gives it the appearance of being tall, and it leaves a really nice open area underneath for gifts and other decorations. My favorite is a copy of the Christmas Box.
It rests under the tree, and I usually sit down and read it at least once.
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Funny – I built a box to raise the tree, and it has the tree stand attached to it with screws. Makes much more space, I agree!
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My first Xmas, newly wed, just outta college and moved outta my parent’s house for good, and into my own new house which I no idea how I was going to earn enough commission money to pay for it…..was built on an upright junk old floor lamp that was thrown out…I sprayed it gold, and put four tumbleweeds that I found blowing in the street, sprayed them gold…and put a bunch of really cheap Kmart ornaments on it….but it was CHRISTMAS, and we had turkey and dressing and stuff that my mother brought to my wife and me for her contribution to my “grown up freedom”…and said the tree was pretty and original….
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We did the tumbleweeds one year, too – they’re great.
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See them tumbling down,
Pledging their love to the ground!
Lonely, but free, I’ll be found,
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds
Cares of the past are behind,
Nowhere to go, but I’ll find,
Just where the trail will wind,
Drifting along with the tumblin’ tumbleweeds
I know when night is gone,
That a new world’s born at dawn!
I’ll keep rolling along,
Deep in my heart as a song,
Here on the range I belong,
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds
Tumbleweeds, tumbleweeds!
See them tumbling down,
Pledging their love to the ground!
Lonely, but free, I’ll be found,
Drifting along with the tumblin’ tumbleweeds
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Right now there is a Christmas Walk at the Meadowbrook mansion in Rochester, MI. I used to volunteer there years ago. Anyway, each room is adopted by a different decorator, in accordance with a theme, and it is always beautiful!
http://meadowbrookhall.org/tours/holiday-walk-tours/
http://oaklandcountymoms.com/meadow-brook-hall-holiday-walk-24580/
I see they changed the name to “Holiday Walk” this year. PC strikes again.
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One of these years/winters I have to go there. I think I’ve told the story about how my GGF was the builder of that home. One of my cousins still has all of the notes that were taken during the actual build. My GGF actually built a home he lived in in the area with the “scraps” from that build.
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It is a beautiful place, with priceless interiors. It was willed to the University (Oakland) with all of the contents intact, including priceless paintings, statuary, carpets, books etc.
Because money to keep the property up was not included in the bequest, it has been turned into a conference center. Business meetings, weddings, tours etc. Much of the grounds were turned into a first class golf course (Katke-Cousins).
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This will be the 4th Christmas since I started this…🎄
I wrap up a gift from Christmas Past for my Son 🎄
Something that is a Family hand me down to Him to cherish and one day once He gets married and has Children of His own He can hand it down to them 🎄
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we ALL know that is secretly how we are thinning down our STUFF and making the kids responsible for the family “history” stuff…..sneaky, ’cause they won’t KNOW that until they get our age and start needed to get the closet and attic back.
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We do that!! But I call it, “Because It Was There!!!!” 😀 My child gets a good one, this year – one that’s been coveted awhile…..
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Now don’t tell me….let me guess…. 10 lb gold bar from the USS United States……
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No. Actually, it’s this monstrous cobalt blue candy dish that’s been around since I was a little kid. It be gone come the 25th!!!
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My sister gave a brother in law a bottle of bubble bath in the shape of king kong.. fuzz and all… Said bottle became a king kong table lamp that was given back to my sister…. next Christmas….
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Yes. That is what we call a “Because It Was There!!”
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Great idea! Let’s see … what can I get rid of?
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heh heh heh
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cleaning out the white house of hip hop trash and candy wrappers.
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How many of ya’z either had one of these, or a family member did? I remember this at my grandma’s house, including the spinning colored floor “lamp”.
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generation before today woulda thrown strobe lights on that dude and done disco dancin’ to Rock around The Christmas Tree music.
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We did!!! Wish I still had it. I have a cousin that has one from his family that he sets up every year, even if it’s a “spare” tree in another room.
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Love it. I can still close my eyes and see it. I see the room. It was set up in the same place every year, and as I had favored nation status as my grandpa and I shared a birthday, as an ankle-biter, I got to help “decorate” the tree. I can smell the smells, hear the laughter, and I go back into one of my happy places.
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I know. A happy place, because everyone was still there. 🙂
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Yep!
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Our Polish next door neighbor in Illinois had one (early 1960’s). She’s the one who had plastic covers on all her furniture and plastic runners on the carpets. I kind of like them now; kitschy.
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Around here a lot of people get artificial trees as you can change the decorations and lights on it to match the holidays. If you’re not into the whole year-round thing (put the b’day presents under a b’day) you can start before Thanksgiving with a Thanksgiving Day tree, movevto a Christmas theme and then on 12th Night switch out to a Mardi Gras scheme.
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File this under eat your heart out…. My neighbor is having their traditional Christmas party next week… Appetizers, drinks and desserts…. annnnnnnnnnnnnnd….. last time she made candied bourbon bacon… absolutely fantastic…is it candy? is it food??? It’s bacon!!
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Hard glaze ’em and they might make good tree decorations…unless you hsve a cat/dog.
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They’d never make it to the tree in THIS house.
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and I didn’t think it was possible to pack all that fat, sugar and salt into one glorious mouthful.
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You’ll note I didn’t say OUR house.
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never thought about blowing a 2.2 at the breakfast table before…but……
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Is it Christmas yet?
Not quite. I had prayed for something really awesome for Christmas the other day, that I was certain would not be denied me, but I can’t remember what it was now. Things are often like that for me. I get good ideas, and they fritter away, especially with regards to spiritual matters.
However, look at what we have been given for Christmas already:
Trump will never run.
Trump will never submit his finances.
Trump will never reach 10%.
Trump will never win a debate.
Trump will never win in the South.
Trump will never beat Jeb.
Trump will never beat Christie.
Trump will never win with Evangelicals.
Trump will never break 30%.
Trump will never win a Caucus.
Trump will never get endorsed.
Trump will never recover after Iowa.
Trump will never win a state.
Trump will never break 35%.
Trump will never get over 100 delegates.
Trump will never win in the North.
Trump will never beat Carson.
Trump will never win a Primary.
Trump will never win 8 states.
Trump will never win in the West.
Trump will never reach 1237.
Trump will never recover after Wisconsin.
Trump will never get nominated.
Trump will never win with women.
Trump will never penetrate the blue wall.
Trump will never beat Clinton.
Trump will never recover from Khan.
Trump will never fundraise.
Trump will never recover from TrumpTapes.
Wikileaks will never happen!
Trump will never win the second and third debate.
Trump will never make a comeback.
Republicans will never win congress.
Trump will never get elected.
Trump will never stop jobs going to Mexico.
[WE ARE HERE]
Trump will never prosecute Clinton!
Trump will flip flop!
Trump will never appoint a conservative to the Supreme Court!
Trump will be impeached!
Congress will obstruct Trump!
Trump will be a figurehead!
Trump won’t drain the swamp!
Trump will never lower debt!
Trump will never cut taxes!
Trump will never turn the economy around!
Trump will never reverse Obama’s executive orders!
Trump will never build the wall!
Trump will never get Mexico to pay!
Trump will never deport illegal alients!
Trump will never renegotiate NAFTA!
Trump will never force China to play fair!
Trump will never end TPP!
Trump will never make us allies with Russia!
Trump will destroy NATO!
Trump will never defeat ISIS!
Trump will never bring jobs back!
Trump will never usher in a new era of manned space flight!
Trump will never be reelected!
Thank you, Jesus! So far, so good! Keep him honest, keep him true, keep him safe!
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I know you are enthusiastic, but this is a CHRISTMAS thread, not a political or open topic thread.
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Said the night wind to the little lamb,
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky, little lamb,
Do you see what I see
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall, mighty king,
Do you know what I know
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere,
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere!
Listen to what I say
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
SO MANY WAYS TO INTERPRET THOSE LYRICS THIS CHRISTMAS….lol
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I will only ever interpret it one way.
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THANK YOU!!
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Pay attention… Bargain!!!
I just ordered a Collins St. Bakery Cheese cake for my twin sister… There is a special $25 that includes shipping, and you can pick any cheesecake… It is only valid today… if this is something that you may want to consider you need this OFFER CODE 611168 REQUIRED.. Here is a link. https://www.collinstreet.com/online_bakery/cheesecakes?t=611168&o=611168&utm_source=Master+List&utm_campaign=1e4a9791f8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_24b8c4a2b4-1e4a9791f8-85051277
Those cheesecakes are normally like $31, with shipping $7 so I thought this was a pretty good deal, and it is a reputable company… 🙂 Good luck..
I don’t exchange gifts with my twin and her family, so this was in lieu of some flowers or something.
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Well, drat. After going through all the registering and ordering details, they won’t ship outside the 48 contiguous states. DH loves NY cheesecake more than anything.
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Sorry…. I shipped mine to NJ..
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