'TIS THE SEASON....

The tree is trimmed, the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St Nicholas soon will be here...

Christmas in sunny southern California still takes a bit of getting used to for me. Even as we near our 6th Christmas here, I find it "odd" to step outside of my decorated home and see my orange tree in all its glory, the sparkling pool, the blooming roses!

Mind you, I'm not complaining! Not in the least. But the two still seem incongruous to this born and bred Northwest girl. Christmas to me, probably for always, will mean SNOW, lots of it! And snowmen, snowball fights, colored lights twinkling out from snow carpeted boughs and shrubs...but again, there is something to be said for not having to shovel the driveway, forgo the ice-packed, snow-covered roads, donn hats, mittens, layers of underwear, clothing, socks and boots. This "season" for me means tossing over my t-shirt and capri's a light jacket to go for my walk around my sunny neighborhood.

Anyways, speaking of the tree, here's mine this year, all decked out in birds and twigs (yes twigs! that had fallen from neighborhood trees that I picked up along my walks), and assorted ornaments I've collected in the past 6 years here. My "family" ornaments, from our life "before" (meaning before we came to the fork in the road and were booted kicking and screaming, LOL! into the one least desired!) remain boxed and stored back "home" and I look forward to opening those up someday for our first Christmas after returning to Washington...perhaps in the next 2 or 3 years...who's to say for sure when?...I've learned life changes on a dime, who knows what the future holds?

But for now I'll enjoy the oranges (and my lemons, kumquats and grapefruit!) and keep pruning my roses!

P.S. Doubleclick on pictures to get more detail...to actually see those oranges, & those birds on the tree.

I do like Christmas on the whole.... In its clumsy way, it does approach Peace and Goodwill. But it is clumsier every year. ~E.M. Forster