DH and Marc have been planting poinsettias and putting up lights. I put up my mother's outside ceramic manger set, and her inside manger set. Both are old. The outside set her childhood friend made for her. Gave her the original core pieces then another piece every couple years or so. The friend has been gone quite a few years now. Her inside manger pieces range from 70 years old to recent. She used to get a new piece every year, in recent years she added things like sea shells. It feels good to handle the pieces that she arranged for so many years.

That sounds lovely, Laura.

I enjoy putting up my tree for similar reasons. I have eight or so ornaments that were from the dozen that my parents bought for their first Christmas tree in 1959. And I have one ornament that Mom inherited from her grandmother. I think it's ~120 years old. Every time I put up the tree it reminds me of setting up Christmas up trees with my family.

I'm the only one of the 4 kids who does decorating to any great extent so they all agreed I should get all of Mom's stuff. I told my step-dad he could have anything at all, but he hasn't asked for anything. I'm sending them pictures as I go along. Hopefully they will come see the end results in person.

Best find so far was a nice table cloth that fits my oval table perfectly. Woot!

I had a meltdown our first Christmas without StE, always my partner in crime making Christmas, birthdays, etc. special for everybody else. I had to browbeat people to help me decorate. We'd given both kids since birth, their eventual SOs, and their kids since birth an ornament every year. I had lists of what ornament and which date for everybody, and a master list of all the lists for me (so as not to duplicate, etc.) Working alone because nobody cared about the tree, and bereft and furious, I pulled ornaments off the tree by the handful and flung them into whatever open container was close, just so we could get the naked carcass to the curb. We were moving, so I pulled a handful of ones handmade by StE, H, and me and brought them with. Everything else stayed behind, with their memories.

I ran across a boxed dozen 50s blown glass ornaments at a flea market here, and searched for old, mismatched glass ornaments on ebay, and our new tree is beautiful. It's not all shiny new, the ornaments have some obvious age, and probably history, but I don't feel the weight of their history. And to us, it is beautiful, and not heart-hurty.

Aurelia, that soup has an amazing amount of beta carotene! And is seasonally festive!

And to us, it is beautiful, and not heart-hurty.

Here's to beautiful and not heart-hurty going forward.

That sounds absolutely lovely and perfect, Beverly.

I may have to get some battery powered lights for my outdoor scooter. Of course I said that and then the suggestions went wild until it was "put a reindeer antlers on the front, dress in a Santa outfit, and tow a wagon of presents behind you". Which might be awesome for Santarchy, but I think not.

We unexpectedly lost our dog Gunnar yesterday. The big guy was only six and a half years old. It's hitting me pretty hard, he was my buddy.

Oh I am so sorry, Gud. It is really tough.

Oh, I am so sorry Gud.