Now, I love Christmas decorations. I have boxes and boxes and boxes of Christmas decor in the storage building. But after Baby Susan and Josh moved to (shudder) Texas Danny Dearest and I have made the trek to their home to spend the holiday season. (What grandbabies will make you do.) But, as a result, we don't do much decorating around the old Champion homestead.
Except this year...
When Danny Dearest and I were pulling in the garage after our traditional eating out of the Thanksgiving meal and viewing of The Muppets, I spied up on a shelf my grandmother's Christmas tree. Now, some explanation is required about this tree.
Seventeen Christmases ago, my grandfather was in the hospital and not doing well. Danny Dearesr, Baby Susan, and I went home to Kentucky to spend Christmas and to see him. It bothered me to no end that he was going to spend Christmas in the hospital, so one day as we were driving to visit him I coerced Danny Dearest into stopping at the local Kmart to buy something that would brighten up his hospital room.
And I found it. It was a Christmas tree that measured 27 inches from top to bottom. It had lights and candles that flickered like real ones. Little pine cones and apples were nestled in the branches. It was perfect.
I took it to granddaddy's room and it stayed there until we left.
A couple of days after we returned to New Mexico we got the call that granddaddy had died.
But the Christmas tree lived on. Grandma took it home and used it for her Christmas tree for several years and then the inevitable happened.
Grandma died also.
In the cleaning out of her household goods, I came across the Christmas tree. I took it back to New Mexico with me and for years used it as my Christmas tree in my elementary classroom. Last year, when I retired form teaching, it came home with me and was put on the shelf in the garage.
Where I saw it last Thursday.
And now it is the Christmas tree for Danny Dearest and me.
Can you see two angels near the tree? I do every time I look at it.
I love you Grandma and Granddaddy.
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