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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Lurking On Our Christmas Tree


     I'd just poured myself a cup of hot chocolate and was settling down to enjoy our beautiful Christmas decorations (mostly the work of Mrs. Chatterbox) when my attention turned to the beautiful tree ornaments we’ve collected over the years. Mrs. Chatterbox and I try and purchase one each time we go on vacation and these remind us of the wonderful places we’ve visited. In addition to travel reminders, we have handmade ornaments that were given to us as wedding presents thirty-seven years ago. I even have a rubber ball (from a ball and jacks game) painted silver with toothpicks in it. I made this in the first grade. I think it was supposed to be a snowflake but it looks more like Sputnik. While I treasure all of these ornaments, over the years two have remained my favorites.
     The first is a Star of David our son CJ made when he was in the first grade. It was created with Popsicle sticks and glitter, although the glitter is now mostly gone. I have no idea why he made a Star of David since we aren’t Jewish, but this ornament is proudly displayed on our tree every year.
     The other ornament is…well it’s…questionable. Mrs. Chatterbox and I have no idea how we acquired this piece. It’s a little bear sitting on top of a child’s reading block, the type of blocks designed to help youngsters learn the alphabet. This ornament dangled on our tree for years, probably decades, before I got around to noticing the two letters on the block: F and U! Was this a coincidence? These two letters out of twenty-six? Where did this darn thing come from? I doubt I’ll ever find out.
     Now, whenever I see that little bear, I imagine him flipping me off. I should have gotten rid of him a long time ago but now it’s too late. He’s part of our Christmas festivities. Like the Star of David, he’s managed to make a permanent place for himself on our tree.
     Do you have any curious ornaments on your tree? Care to share them with us?

Merry Christmas

10 comments:

  1. I was smiling at this post before even reading it. Now, I'm smiling bigger.
    Merry Christmas to you and yours, Stephen.
    Enjoy life's blessings.
    xoRobyn

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  2. I am knocked out by the image of the Star of David on the Christmas tree.
    That is a superb gift to us all.

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  3. I don't have any favorties at all. I don't have old ornaments. All of our is new and mostly red. When I get tired of red it will be another color.

    I enjoyed learning about your treasured ornaments. It's a wonderful tradition. I laughed over the F and the U. Just saying since I was thinking the same thing.

    Have a terrific day and a very merry Christmas to you and Mrs. Chatterbox. :)

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  4. Sure, why not. Peace to all. Now the F U ornament....that's too far fetched even for coincidence. Haha!

    Hope y'all have a wonderful Christmas. ;)

    S

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  5. My sister and I both made these plaster (or something) angels that are Pepto-Bismol pink back in kindergarten or something.

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  6. Too funny!

    With me being German, I get asked all the time about that German tradition of a pickle in the Christmas tree.

    I have to tell it again and again, it's a myth. Germans do NOT hang a pickle in a Christmas tree. It's something that Americans made up. LOL.

    So after I explained this to one of my friends, he bought me a Christmas ornament pickle to hang in my tree. I'm probably the only German now who has a pickle hanging in her Christmas tree.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  7. I love the Star of David on the tree. After all, Jesus was a Jew. Nice tradition of bringing home ornaments from your travels, too. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  8. I'm thinking that F U is the new Bah Humbugh. ;)

    The Star of David had to be a lot easier to construct than the traditional five-point star but the blue glitter sure makes it more traditionally Jewish.

    I'm also liking that pocket watch ornament beside the grumpy little bear. :)

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  9. I have to tell you that when my mom went to live at assisted living, th children had to divide up her things. My sister and I split her Christmas ornaments. I have over the past 40 years collected so many ornaments that I was being very selective in what I wanted. My mom had a few very ugly ornaments and I told my sister that I did not want any of those. She wrapped them up and sent them to me at Christmastime! So I sent them back to her the following year. This has gone on for many years and I brought them with me this year and wrapped them up for her birthday. She didn't have a clue! It has been a fun tradition. We also hide a little teapot with an ugly face on it that I didn't want!

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