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Wednesday, December 3, 2014


OH CHRISTMAS TREE 
OH CHRISTMAS  TREE .....

"That sure is a puny looking Christmas Tree," Snickers observed, staring up at the ornamental, yarn tree next to the front door. 
 (see him in lower left corner)
"I've had better and bigger live trees .....
but this one is special!" I tell him.
"A cruising friend made it for us when we were at anchor
in the Sea of Cortez 
one Christmas long ago ....." 
We missed our family
and had only a few decorations ... and were far away
from a town to buy a tree - if one could even be found! 
A tiny palm tree just didn't have the charm.
Our cruising friends invited us to their boat for
a pre-Christmas feast.
And with tummies full of good food
and cheery beverages
she gave us a package which contained
this crocheted Christmas Tree. 
Once aboard our boat I added tiny bulbs and baubles and 
good cheer immediately enveloped us.


I took the tree out of the Christmas decoration tub this morning
and struggled as to where to hang it..... kitchen window, nah.
Entry hall mirror ... nah.
bathroom above sink....nah.
Front door ....

Yes. Oh Christmas Tree ... Oh Christmas Tree.
In all your glory
to welcome guests this Christmas season.
Guests may never know the adventures you had with us
for many Christmas holidays sailing from
sea to shining sea.
I could always find a place for you
and you somehow
made our season brighter.

I opened the small box marked,
'NATIVITY SET'
How can such a small box not much bigger than my 
outstretched hand 
contain the 
Holy Family, angels, shepherds, wise men?
Tiny tiny figures ....
a resounding chorus of
"Oh Little Town of Bethlehem...."
Just the right size to display
aboard a boat lacking room for a more grand 
Nativity Scene.
I've never replaced my tiny figurines ....
how loudly they have enfolded my heart
and appreciation for 
a tiny baby born
in the company of 
stable animals.
Yes.... this Nativity reminder is still just the right size.

Ohhh .... "Alice" my little angel. 
She was beautiful when first given to me by
a now long-lost sailing friend named Alice. 
Over time, in and out of Christmas ornament storage boxes
aboard our boat 'Quasar',
  Alice became scrunched and tattered,
her little halo bent and twisted,
her dress crumpled and saggy.
But a kind
creative and artistic cruising friend
took Alice to her boat
and she returned 
new and restored
more beautiful than 
she had ever been.
Her beauty brought back
by the love and talent of a friend..... whose name
I can no longer remember. 
I'll pretend her name also was Alice.

Red and green,
gold and lovely .
My mother, Betty Kaemerer,
created this shiny 
pointsetia .....(sp ?)
She had taken a class 
making Christmas decorations.
A cheery decoration to hang somewhere on our boat.
Over time,
as with Alice my angel,
the beads loosened, the wire bent and beads broke ...
a once lovely handmade gift from Mom,
 aboard the cramped storage in our boat,
looking very sad and misshaped.
I tried to restore and mend with limited success.
Until one day,
a cruising friend said she could fix it as good as new.
And she did.
Mom's handiwork reworked,
still retaining her diligent
loving touch.
A treasured gift from her and another long lost cruising friend,
can't remember this friend's name,
but her face is before me now. 

Two little ceramic angels ..
One is Desi
the other is Monica.
I put a tiny black patch on
Desi angel in memory of my brother
and gave the two of them to my Mom one Christmas.
After she died I brought them back home ....
they bring a smile to my heart ...
remembering Desi .... 
oh how he was loved!
I wonder if Fred, Desi's son, would like 
Desi Angel .... I'll have to ask.

"On a starry night,
in a little town
in a stable,
animals had gathered all around ......."
Humming the lovely melody
to the words of an original
Christmas song
by Vicki, my daughter.
I kept the card over many years
and bring it out 
just so I can close my eyes
and hear her sweet voice
singing a lullaby to the Christ Child and His Mother...
oh yeah .... 
and Joseph! 
He sometimes disappears into the background
with the Shepherds, sheep and lambs,
Wise Men, etc.
taking prominent attention in
the Nativity Scene.


Oh my, little tree in a box, I almost forgot about you!
You were one of our first cruising Christmas Trees ...
bendable, foldable, storable and
scrunched up into a box
for the next Christmas..... wherever that would be 
where our boat would take us.
Tiny, tiny ornaments upon your boughs ...
such a humble little tree.
Yet holds a storehouse of 
memories ... when all we had was 
you to remind us of
grand
giant
Christmas Trees from seasons long ago.
.......................

Christmas 2014

You, little live tree, will soon be all aglow
with a tiny Nativity Scene beneath your fragrant boughs,
a star to shine atop your pointy end,
and seashells hanging from your needles.
Yes ....
seashells collected on warm sandy beaches
beside glistening clear water during our cruises
in the Sea of Cortez.
But where will I hang 
the stockings with care
in hopes that 
St. Nicholas will soon be there.....

It seems I still have lots of decorating to do,
this Christmas 2014.
With 
praise songs,
worship melodies to the New Born King,
Christmas good cheer singing on my Kindle ....
Fa La La La La.... La La La La!
I look forward to celebrating 
this Christmas
because memories of Christmas Past with those 
I have loved
surround me,
bringing good cheer
and blessings to all who enter 
my home this season.
"To all of those that I have loved 
and still do,
sing them my song"
Eldon's memorial song....
rather appropriate
for this 
Season of Joy and remembrance.
Merry Christmas
and Joyous New Year!