Nostalgia 2023

I loved decorating for Christmas as a child, seeing my saved school projects and family possessions. The construction paper Santa glued to the coffee can with his cotton ball beard and eyebrows. A styrofoam snowman held together with toothpicks. The pinecone tree with red fuzzy balls, the white Christmas candle inside the fake greenery, and the glittery gold mini tree and angels belonging to my grandmother.

For a child who wanted the Norman Rockwell painted family, Christmas was as close to that as I would get, and with each passing year, those nostalgic decorations transported me to a time of peace in the house and goodwill between the parents. 

1969

1970

1972

We lost those family heirlooms to a flood. Not one childhood ornament survived.

Luckily, I married a man whose yearly tradition was buying a new set of ornaments. He was gracious in including me when we dated, despite my mocking of his artificial tree and insistence on a real one, especially after we married. 

1992

1993

1994

We now have a tree full of nostalgia, and even when I’m the lone decorator, I happily reminisce.

2004

2009

2010

This year, Tom and Maddy joined me in putting together our Christmas tree. As they did in the past, the two of them strung the lights.

Maddy stayed to help me hang the ornaments. I made sure to tell stories. One day these decorations and ornaments will be a link to her childhood. If they aren't taken out by a flood, or in our case a hurricane.

Let the holidays commence!