Yesterday we were off to Pescara for a business meeting. While we were there, O and I decided to take the opportunity to do some shopping since they have a lot more shops in Pescara than we do in the area. So, after the meeting, we were off. Our main goal, find a Christmas tree.

Last year, we didn’t put a tree up because we went to the States to visit my family over the holidays. So, this year, we had to get one. And yes, it’s a fake tree. Real trees are pretty costly here and fake trees are good year after year (that’s the penny-pincher in me talking). Plus, they don’t make as much of a mess, dropping needles all over the place, aren’t a fire hazard, and are much prettier growing in the forest.

We found a great one that wasn’t too wide, but was still tall enough. I didn’t want a short tree, but we don’t have a whole lot of room, so it couldn’t be too big around either. This one’s perfect - 210 centimeters high. Of course, we had to get some decorations for it too. There were only two things I was unable to find: a light-up angel for the top (I had to settle for an unlit star) and a tree-skirt. For the life of me, I can’t seem to find a tree-skirt in Italy. I’m going to have to improvise I guess.

Of course, we couldn’t wait and had to put it up last night. So, that’s how we spent our evening, stringing lights and decorating the tree. Most of the decorations are generic, but I do have a few special ones. I’ll bet everyone does, think about it. Which ornaments do you put on the tree year after year that have significance for you - some kind of personal meaning? I have two cross-stitch angels that my mom made for me this year for my first tree with O, an M&M ornament that I sent to O three years ago for Christmas, a Lenox cross that was given to us by a good friend who came over the summer, 2 ornaments which are all I have left from where I used to work (I had one for all 11 years I was there, but only 2 are left) and a White House ornament that we received as a gift last Christmas.

I remember while I was growing up that we always put the “special” ornaments on the tree last. Most often they were things that my brother and I had made at school, but some were small trinkets that appeared on top of gifts or cakes, or other small items that we decided to hang on the tree. Some were actually pretty hideous too. I remember as I got older asking my mom why we had to put some up there, saying “but I made that when I was 5 years old, why do we have to put it on the tree now?”. But, there was no budging Mom; it went on the tree regardless of how old and ratty it was. Those ornaments had special meaning and we put them up there to remind us of the special times in our lives.

Unfortunately I left all of my Christmas ornaments (except for the two from work that I mentioned earlier) when I moved over here, bringing nothing with me. Actually, I gave them and my tree to a friend who had no tree and couldn’t afford to buy one at the time. Some ornaments I wish I had kept as they did have sentimental value. But, I’m sure, as time goes on, we’ll continue to add more and more “special” ornaments to our collection.

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