Tuesday, December 17, 2019

All Lit Up



It all starts off at the Tree Gulag, where captive conifers languish beneath the harsh glare of sodium arc lights. There they are, lined up for inspection and roll call as you stride along wondering at their short and spindly aspect. But we found one that seemed to have potential and took it home.




First things first, wrangle the liberated fir into a stand and move back to ponder it's bizarrely potbellied shape. Then put as many lights on the thing as it'll bear, around a 1000+ for a small tree like this. You may have a different method and that's OK, there's no system

Lights on, get the Angel up and ask yourself why this one from Germany holds a scroll of plainsong notation proclaiming "Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata  mundi." Gloria in excelsis Deo!, surely.




Leaving aside the hint of oddly wry Tuetonic humor, start decorating the tree and if you're me, recall  Christmases past when you've done the very same thing with the very same ornaments stretching back into childhood. 

Nostalgic, but of course some decorations get "old, tired, pathetic and depressing. Look, here's a plastic bag, throw it away." Thus spake Ma LSP, and she's right, what's the point of holding on to some piece of broken rubbish just because you've had it forever?




That in mind, some ornaments are better than others, which goes without saying, and you admire them the most, they inspire and uplift. Then it's done, an Advent miracle, the tree's lit up, the ornaments gleam, glint and sparkle and all's well in a raucously Victorian Christmas tree kind of way.




Well done, mission accomplished, pour yourself a glass of the right stuff. Maybe, for you, that's cocoa, a onesie and a frothing pumpkin latte, maybe it's something more fortifying. Your call.

Cheers and God bless,

LSP

20 comments:

Old NFO said...

I pull my 1 foot high pre-decorated tree out of the closet, dust it off, and I'm done... :-)

drjim said...

Nice tree, Parson, and well decorated.

Kind of a "1000 Points of Light" theme with a Texas Twist.

Adrienne said...

Very beautiful, LSP.

I'm with you on the lights - can't have too many. However, this year I grabbed a few strings of LED lights. Not pleased. The dang things look lavender lit up. It's okay for just this year, but I'll be chucking them in the trash (maybe) come January.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

I put up an artificial tree in the 3rd floor hallway and got out of the way of the ladies.

Seems each of the four floors are seeing who can out do the other.

Ed Bonderenka said...

Some people have yuletide fires on their TV.
I have a Christmas tree there.
No allergies, needles on the floor and in my socks, and taking it down is like pressing a button on a remote. Exactly like pressing a button on a remote.
Yours looks nice, too.

LL said...

An inspiring tree at the parsonage. Blue Thunder will likely leave it alone since he's getting older and possibly wiser. Unlike Jules' wolf, who, by all reports, eats/destroys ornaments secretly.

Kid said...

Very nice LSP. I can tell those are some old ornaments. We had some of the same.

gL said...

Beautiful and uplifting, as always. Well mostly. Cheers.

NITZAKHON said...

My (Muslim!) wife finally acceded to the kids' whining and put up our artificial tree.

*grumble*

We're supposed to be a JEWISH household. But then this morning she said "We really should try to keep Shabbat better - a formal dinner, being together lighting the candles, and no electronics for the day". So, I'll take that. (Maybe next year she'll follow through on her stated desire to convert.)

Give me another year and I hope I can convince her to switch to the local Chabad (Orthodox) Synagogue.

In the meantime, wishing you and your readers a wonderful Merry Christmas.

LSP said...

Ah, NFO, I'm with you on that. No tree at the Compound but we do put one up at Dallas HQ, for the family. It was small this year.

LSP said...

Well said, drjim, light 'er up!

LSP said...

Thanks, Adrienne,and I know what you mean, lavender. Entirely the wrong message, chuck 'em in the bin.

LSP said...

WSF, stay well clear of that minefield. I say this with experience.

LSP said...

Ed, I always love your verse.

Light 'em up!

LSP said...

Mr. Wolf, the Blue's been bizarrely well behaved and perhaps that's due to cataracts, not that he seems to mind.

Juliette's Wolf is apparently "wiley." Is that something which comes with the breed?

LSP said...

Thanks, Kid. They're a mix, to be honest, but I enjoy slinging 'em up on the conifer year by year.

LSP said...

Ah, gL. What about the beautiful ornaments do you not like? The 45 decoration? Hey man, don't be a Debbie Downer.

But whatev. Yet another triumph of beauty, albeit random and raucous, over soul destroying nihilism.

LSP said...

My dear NITZAKHON, I wish you the very best of luck.

As an aside, picture Moses. All those Jews, 40 years... impressive man.

Brig said...

What a beauty, well done, Padre!
There is not but one skinny medium size tree, and one smaller tree in the hovel. Decorated with warm white lights, pine cones, berries, and a shiny star.

LSP said...

Beautiful, Brig!