We’re all happy puppies today. It’s a wonderful Christmas at our house, and we hope it is at yours.
Donna brought to our marriage a tradition we’ve followed for 40 years: decorating the tree on Christmas Eve. When our children were little, their first sight of the glorious tree, with presents arrayed beneath it, was on Christmas morning. When they were older, they’d stay up late to help us trim it. Now they’re grown and gone, but we still uphold tradition. These days, we lure friends over with food and drink, then whine and play on their guilt until they agree to help us hang ornaments.
Decorating the tree, thank God, has become significantly easier. Of course, I should also thank Martha Stewart: this year we went to K-Mart and bought, for about what we’d have paid for a real dead shedding tree, a pre-lit Omniliving artificial tree (now I know what Martha did in prison all those months). It took five minutes to put together, and when we plugged it in, we both broke out in smiles. It’s fabulous! And you know what, by the time this one wears out they’ll be selling pre-lit and pre-decorated trees! I, for one, welcome our Omniliving artificial tree overlords!
Oh, back to Schatzi, who went with us for a three-mile hike yesterday (well, for her it was a run), slept like a log all night, and saw the tree and all the presents for the first time this morning:
As soon as I put on a pair of boots, she’s going for her first motorcycle ride!
Merry Christmas, dear friends!