Christmas Tree Is Up!

I never go to get the tree, DH and my son do a great job. Sometimes an extra opinion muddies the waters. They went earlier this past week and we decorated it last night.  Isn't it lovely?  I should add, that after I took this photo, my son crawled under there and put the red tree skirt into place. You can no longer see the power strip and it looks even nicer!  Trees over here are prunned a bit differently to allow room for candles to be put on the tree, if desired.  I prefer lights! A tree is a big accomplishment when you live in a crowded space, but I rearranged some furniture and got it to fit. Last year we had it very close to the stove, and while I prefer that location, it really wasn't good for the poor tree to be so close to the heat! It really lost a lot of needles.

Unfortunately, our basement storage locker was a bit flooded this summer...from the ceiling. I thought all our stuff was OK, but this tote of stuff did not have a cover...so, ewww! Just enough moisture to be yucky. But, lucky me, I packed most everything in plastic boxes. Yeah me! The stockings were on top and a cycle in the washing machine did the trick. I ended up throwing out just a few odd ornaments from the bottom of the tote. All the empty plastic boxes got scrubbed in the tub. Even our lights were OK.  I was really relieved because...All the stores in Austria are closed on Sunday so it is not like we could run out and get more. Plus it is not an expense I really want! We do not have many ornaments in the 1st place, but we like what we do have. AND lights in Austria cost 30€ a string, no joke. But at the end of the days, they are just THINGS and could be replaced if needed. So, now maybe my DH understands my love affair for plastic boxes with tightly fitting covers. During the Christmas holiday I will bring up our other totes and check them all over, but the rest have covers and are placed on metal shelving. I like my stuff in storage to be at least semi-organized!

There is a saying that when a cardinal is near, it means a deceased love one is visiting you. My Mom always had birds on her tree, and I have several. But this lovely cardinal is my favorite. My happy reminder of my Mom, who lost her fight with cancer when I was 28...before I was married or had my son. She just loved kids and half the kids in our town called her Nana. So, if you are missing someone this holiday season, it may bring you some comfort to see a cardinal and if you live where that is not likely, get something with a cardinal on it. This cardinal ornament is so sweet, so I was happy it was not damaged.