December 11th - Caturday and Christmas Past

Happy Caturday to all.  I've been meaning to blog this week but as sometimes happens, life got in the way.  I've been fighting a spell of tiredness - not sure whether it's a cold coming on or not eating right or the very cold weather something else entirely, but I am sitting here at 10 am on a Saturday still in my pajamas so something is up.

But the internet has been my friend - I have the important part of my Christmas shopping done and what isn't already here will arrive in plenty of time to be wrapped and put somewhere near the tree (there is no "underneath this particular one).

Anyhow, I opened up our weekly local paper to find that one of my fondest memories of the season will be no more.  I've actually blogged Laurel's giant Christmas tree before.  Since I first moved here as a child, every year we would go to see it - and as an adult, most of my life I lived close enough that I'd gather up some friends and we would walk over to see it.

This isn't the best picture, but if you keep in mind that those "lines" running across the picture are the telephone/electric wires - that gives you an idea how impressive it was to see all lit up.

Sadly, the snowpocalypse changed everything.

And we were left with this

Unfortunately, not only can it no longer be decorated as a Christmas tree, it's become so topheavy that it needs to come down....so this piece of holiday tradition moves into the past.

While I was preparing to write this blog, I went through my own past posts to see if I had a picture of the tree in all its glory.  Somewhere in the transition between 360 and here and now, the pictures went away......but what I did find was post after post of how much I love this time of year and the memory making that goes with it.  I even talked a few times about how change happens - and that different is not necessarily bad.

So the tree might be gone, but I'm sure there will be plenty of other wonderful reminders of the holiday season -  I just need to go out and look.


Time for today's ornament

I told you that my grandmother would sometimes send ornaments as gifts.    For  reasons I won't go into right now , I didn't have much direct contact with my grandmother once I grew up - it was up to my mother to keep her posted on what was happening.  So   I was thrilled to receive this one because it meant she knew about my bowling and how important it was to me.

And 20 some years later I'm still bowling at the same lanes with one of the same team members - talk about tradition:).

Hope all of you are having a good weekend.....and I'd love to hear about any of your holiday traditions.