The promise of Christmas

Yesterday after picking Will up from school, we went on a Christmas tree hunt.  The place we got our tree at last year wasn’t there anymore, so we drove around for a while trying to find another. 

It was really cold and I had to wrap my muffler over my head as well as around my neck and Don and Will teased me.  But I didn’t care, I might have looked a little odd, but at least I was warm.

We found a beautiful tree, with lush fragrant branches.  I can’t remember what they called it.  Maybe Noble fir?  The underneath branches slightly lighter than the top.  We had looked at quite a few, but when we pulled this one out and turned it around this way and that, the decision was unanimous! 

We tied it to the top of our car and brought it home and the dogs danced around in delight. 

We untied it and then I raced to the basement and got the cast iron old-fashioned tree stand.

Don and Will carried it in and held it in place while I lay on my belly and tightened the screws so the tree would stand strong and true, I thought the door to the outside had been left open, but it wasn’t.  It was all the coldness of the outside that was trapped in the branches that made the air around us so cold.

And now, as I sit on the sofa, a fire is flickering in the fireplace and I am typing to you.  The smell of fresh needles and the outside and peppermint candy fill my nostrils.  The Christmas lights are twinkling, and Emily comes home the day after tomorrow and Dave’s coming over this weekend, and the dinner Don made tonight was really tasty and all is good with the world.

Well, it isn’t really, but it feels that way, and that is good enough for me.  I’ll take this moment in time, and the next moment too and savor the sweetness of now.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 in Chewing the Fat