Advent Calendar 2011 -- Days 1 & 3 Christmas Tree & Ornaments

c. 1973 Walnut Creek, CA

   Christmas tree ornaments changed throughout my life.  Early on, my mother had an aluminum artifical tree that had only blue balls on it.  She had a blue spot light pointing down on the tree.  The next year, she'd buy green or red balls and a new spotlight color.  Our house in Pittsburg had a large picture window in the front and it was put on display.

   Later, when we lived in Walnut Creek, she switched to evergreen colored artificial trees.  We still had colored glass balls but now they were of many colors.  The tree also spotted colored lights and once the tree was completely filled with balls, my mother meticulously laid strands of tinsel on each branch.

   As we children grew older, we demanded more part of dressing the tree.  Now homemade ornaments and paper or popcorn strands adorned the tree.  Artificial trees made the way for aromatic Scotch pine trees--still my mother patiently applied individual strands of tinsel on the tree after all the children had gone to bed.

2005

   When I finally had a tree of my own, I skipped artificial and tinsel.  I used all white lights and cute wooden and Papier-mâché ornaments I purchased first from Cost Plus and later at many outlets.  Musical instruments, drums, baseballs, and trains make up the majority of my ornaments until children were born.  Now we acquired yearly ornaments with their names and date printed neatly.  Disney ornaments seemed to be the favorite among my young princesses.

   What will my tree be like once my girls have homes of their own?  I'm not sure, but ornaments that longed to adorn my tree from the past may find their way again.  Or I may reminisce the German Bells we made in my 4th grade class from foiled wrapping paper.  If you want to learn how, here is a great site with photos to help with each step.


Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past