(A post from 1/11/14 that failed to upload, so here it is, a day late)
Today didn’t feel like the best of days to take down the tree, what with a flood watch and driving rain and wind and all. The cheerful lights help to dispel the gloom, but it is the second weekend in January. Besides, my ornament storage box arrived this week, so I had no excuse to put off dismantling the tree.

Made from cardboard and easily assembled, this eight-drawer box holds 165 ornaments. We have a lot of ornaments, but there’s still room to grow. It’s ridiculous how happy something this simple makes me, but it’s so nice to be able to store everything in one place! I started acquiring ornaments in the mid-80s, and my collection includes a lace crocheted angel and spun glass balls from my years in Richmond, and many fun, funky and beautiful ornaments from my sister to our family, including moon faces and sparkly ribbon candy. We have a felted ball picked up at an art gallery one Christmas while in Chattanooga. Most recently we bought a black glass bat in Greenwich Village.

When I first moved to Lancaster, “dusty rose” carpet was in vogue, so rather than fight it I decorated my first ever tree in pink and green balls, and sparkly pink glass bells. Shortly after that I moved again, and having acquired furniture in pale greens and blues, my trees for a few years were blue, green & purple, always with white lights. After marrying, I added strings of the colorful lights that my husband likes, and our tree has gradually become a sparkling, brilliant tree chock-full of every ornament we own.

Lately I’ve begun to collect owl ornaments. Now they are all tucked into their assigned drawer, waiting for next year!