One of the last yearly harvests is that of the Christmas tree. We have a dozen or so planted on the property at different stages of growth. The spruces are outside the fence (where the deer can ignore them) and the firs on the inside (where the deer can’t eat them). Most years, like this one, it is obvious which sentinel will be cut to spend a month or more upstairs in the solarium. Charlotte points to the obvious victim. She takes my hand saw and with quick and swift strokes drops the tree. We lift it, bringing it up the steps through the front door and then up the stairs toward the living room. Once attached to a stand and wired into the wall, it is ready for decoration.
The first thing to place on the tree is a home-made angel that Juana and I have had ever since we were married. During those first years in college we had little money so most everything we had was either home-made or hand-me-down. So with a bit of felt, spare cloth, wire, a Styrofoam ball, and a toilet-paper roll, our angel was created over 45 years ago.
Lights, garland and decorations are next. Though some may say the branches of the tree are a bit sparse, these gaps leave a lot of room for ornaments. The tree inhales all of our decorative bits leaving few in their storage boxes.
The next and final decoration is the nativity that Juana labors over. It has evolved and expanded over the years now taking up much of the solarium space. It is her pride and joy of the season.
Like our angel, it too is composed of bits and pieces acquired over the years ranging from moss collected from outside, beach rocks from Long Island, and a faux stable made from furring strips all sitting below birds’ nests gathered over the years.
When finished, it is a wonderful collection of memories ending the year on just the right note.
