O, Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Your gay green dress delights me.
My dad was also a big (not great!) singer, and this was one of his favorites. We loved our Christmas trees! And we loved our family Christmases.
Dad would take us to the Country Club Plaza on Thanksgiving to watch the turning on of the lights. It was a big deal then, and I guess still is, in Kansas City. And it was free and glorious and fun. I can still see them.
I know now that Mom always gave Dad/Santa the word on what to bring, but it was Santa/Dad who mostly got the credit for the great stuff — just what we always wanted. Magic!
We had to have "our place" near the tree so our dang siblings didn't grab our loot...not that we much wanted what the others got. Still. It had to be done, just as we had to write our names inside our matching stockings hung by the fireplace with care. You never know, and you sure can't trust a kid to do the right thing.
On the way to the Plaza — quite a drive — we'd sing Christmas carols in the car and gape at all the lights people put up on their houses and whatnot. Millions of lights, and all beautiful. To me, a tree is really a Christmas-light delivery vehicle, and of course, the best reminder of a nostalgic life that probably wasn't what it seemed back then.
"It's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember,
The way we were."
Your tree really is beautiful and I like the thought of you sipping that red next to your electronic fire, gazing at the tree. I'm sort of a scrooge about this whole time of year but I did buy some fresh evergreen to decorate our mantel. The best thing about the season is that on December 21 the days start getting longer! Hey, Happy New Year, my dear old (heh heh) friend!
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