Blogmas 2023: 12/12

 Today's Blogmas post is bittersweet ...

I pulled this ornament out of its box today and was immediately transported back in time.

One year when we were able to go home for the holidays, my mom didn't have a Christmas tree up.  We gave her a hard time so the next year when we were making our plans over the phone, she let me know that she had gotten a tree.  She was so proud of her tree and couldn't wait for us to see it.  In my mind, the way she was describing it I thought it was in the medium to large size range and decorated to the hilt!

Imagine my surprise when we walked in, and she had a tree that was about a foot tall and that was decorated straight from the factory.  All she had to do was take it out of the box and set it on the table she displayed it on, and viola, it was ready!  When the holidays were over, she picked up her decorated tree, took it to a spare bedroom and set it in an out of the way place until the next Christmas!  My mom could be a character!

We laughed at her tree until we cried, we called it her 'Charlie Brown' tree and it became a holiday joke that we relived every year until she was taken from us.

Shortly after her death, I had the opportunity to have the above ornament made in honor of that memory.  I can still see her laughing and trying to 'explain' her tree.  It is a memory that I treasure and hold very near to my heart.  This ornament represents all those memories of her 'Charlie Brown' tree and the fun we had at its expense!

 Why I do Blogmas:  

It's no secret that I love everything about Christmas!  From the day after Thanksgiving till the last box of Christmas decor is packed away and put back in storage for the next year, I love every bit of it!   My husband and I are senior citizens who generally spend the holiday season alone.  While we do have lots of very good friends and our church family nearby, all of our children live far, far away and have children of their own to make holiday memories with within their own homes.  They are very thoughtful to include us in as much as possible via technology and we are so grateful to them for going beyond the extra mile to include us.   

I started doing Blogmas because I had a choice, either lose myself in sorrow over what I could not change or embrace the love I have for the season and share it with others.   I chose to share my joy in the journey not only with my children and grandchildren long-distance, but with others who love the season as I do and who just might find themselves spending the holidays alone as well. I hope in some small way you get a glimpse of holiday joy through these Blogmas posts and that it spills over into your life this holiday season!

Meet you back here tomorrow!

mrs. patsi @ A Working Pantry

~ sharing my home and my faith ~

Follow me on Instagram HERE!

She looketh well to the ways of her household … Proverbs 31:27 

Sharing 43 years' experience of frugal, prudent living and pantry building 

My second blog:  From This Heart of Mine, where I share my love for God and His Word through my personal Bibe study.  Physical preparedness is important, but not near as important as spiritual preparedness.  Ladies, join me over at From This Heart of Mine and study God's Word with me.

You can view my privacy policy HERE.

Thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when placing your Amazon orders. I earn a small percentage that doesn't increase what you pay, and it helps me keep my pantry well-stocked! 

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.  This means that if you click on the link and place an order, etc I earn a small fee at no increased cost to you. Thank you for your support through these means.