Honey it's cold outside

Snow landed in Portland's west hills last night. Seems early this year. Bbbbrrrrr. Our out of town guests arrive today, and we're just about set. Holiday decorations this year include birds and nature. The Christmas bulb doesn't seem to be growing too quickly. Hmmm. But my new tree? I'm just like a 9-year-old girl again, giddy about the pretty lights.

Last year at the after-Christmas sales, my tree was half price. I stood there and stared at her box for a long time. Wistfully. And asking myself if I really want her. I do, I do, I do. But is she, well, kinda tacky? Oh no, not this one. I had seen her in someone's yard last holiday season, and been mesmerized. 6 feet tall, white, with blue and white lights that slowly turn from blue, to white. A glowing. Mmmmmmm. Kind of like fiber optic lights. Mmmmm. And then I drifted back to my childhood, laying under our Christmas tree, and the mysterious fiber optic lights. Like tufts of glowing grass, their little dots of light at the tips glowed at me, and I was in love.

And so it was with this tree. AdRi asked me if I was sure I really wanted it. Oh yes oh yes oh yes I do. Off it went, stacked somewhere into our basement, stashed during our remodel of last year. Unearthed las week, it was as if Christmas had come early.

She's all set up out there on our front porch. She's an outdoor gal. But we can clearly see her from inside. And all those who pass by the house can too. For safety sake, she's tied up with a bike lock to the front porch railing. (I remember too clearly the year our washbucket of poinsettias was stolen from that front porch, and no one is getting my Christmas tree this year.)

Birds and rose hips and my light-up Christmas tree. Now if you see fiber optic lights somewhere, you let me know.