Rockefeller Center tree has nothing on ours. The tree, decorated in fine fashion! I actually finished it Friday, in between the Babe running a couple of errands to purchase our missing ingredients for dinner the next couple of days. The tree doesn’t have all our special ornaments.
Last year, I left off the Official White House ornaments. I’ve purchased one every year since 1999, when the Babe’s son Blake started his career in Washington. Someday Joell would appreciate the collection. I reflected on the theme of each ornament, as they have a small pamphlet included about a particular highlight of Christmas during particular Presidential terms. In 1999 the collection starts with Abraham Lincoln. The most recent President is Eisenhower. A popular theme is the Christmas Trees; a most novel one is the first Presidential helicopter. I’ve pictured some below:






A collection we also have is a state ornament of each state we’ve visited while traveling. We have many from travels west, to Colorado, Yellowstone, Montana, Utah, Nevada; south to Kansas, Missouri, Florida, and Georgia; and east to Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. At this late date, I’m declaring us ready. Tomorrow will be for prepping Christmas Dinner, and baking a few cookies.
White I decorated today, did I listen to Christmas Music? True to my fabulous, quirky self, I watched a recorded documentary about Bruce Springsteen, followed by a concert by the Eagles (with Glen Frey). It was wonderful. The tree is done. And all is right with the world!
Enjoy your day, and if you gather with family this evening, give them your love. We need to appreciate our people while we can. Remember that. We’ve lost three people this year who really impacted our lives. Our hearts go out to their families for the next couple of weeks. It’s so hard at Christmas whenever you’ve lost a person. It matters not if it’s the prior year or the day of a holiday. A good friend lost her husband on Christmas Day; another good friend and I both lost our grandfather’s to heart attacks at 12 on Christmas Eve. That’s a whole different pain.
Hugs to all of you with loss this Christmas season. Do what you can, and just take care of you. You’ll get through this; I know you will. Know I’m thinking of all of you. We’ll all be OK. See you tomorrow!