When I moved back to Washington two days after Thanksgiving 10 years ago, amongst my many boxes were three filled with holiday ornaments I had purchased year after year in anticipation of having a big tree next year to put them on; all were still in their original packaging since I never had a tree in either of my NYC apartments over the 9½ years I lived there. So on my first Christmas in DC I bought one, hosted a trim the tree party. I cooked, baked, set a festive seasonal buffet table, and kept the champagne flowing as we listened to holiday classics laughing all the way. This would be the start of an annual tradition; my home has yet to see another tree! Full disclosure…those boxes of ornaments were stored away after that first Christmas and have resided way at the back of the top shelf in a closet that is so stuffed, it’s hard to get to them. Call me trifling the thought of getting them down gives me a headache. But I do manage to create some very simplistic decorative arrangements for every room each year, put out the door mat, and hang a wreath on the door, just no tree.
On December 1, I pondered what I would do as the first holiday CD began to play. Would I unearth those decorations…what did I do last year…was there something new I could create? Nothing came to mind as I selected a wreath and mat from the storage closet. A few days later I sat in the middle of the living room floor tying up packages with strings, happily singing along to the same tunes, different genres with still not a clue. Perhaps I would once again place the tiny glass ball ornaments of various colors, some with glitter others plain into a big crystal bowl I thought as I nestled snuggly in bed later that evening. And then in the mid of night it came upon me oh so clear. That huge elongated red serving dish I picked up last year had only been used for food so far but now, just in the nick of time, it would serve up the quintessential answer to my holiday décor dilemma!
I’m so tickled with my simple variation on an old theme. When I lit the candles it was fresh, cool and sparkly and even though there is no tree, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas this Christmas where I live.
ps – I have a date on my calendar to clean out that closet and move those boxes!
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