VISIONS OF JOY: Tree Time

Tree I decorated in lobby.

ITS TREE TIME

by Joy Krauthammer

Left doc's office couple days ago for ultrasounds to make sure I'm 'healthy', and in the large central main lobby of the medical building was this big TREE.

So,

I asked the team of male holiday wreath decorators high on the upper level if I could put A Christmas decoration on the bare tree. Kinda like TuB'Shvat and sap flowing. Celebrate the barren tree and its potential.

On the floor In the long cardboard, filled holiday ornament box, I chose a large subdued gold matte colored ball, and then after moving that one ball around several times walking 360* around the tree until I could find just the right spot to hang it from it's string, I asked for another decoration. Wish granted. OK, cool-- I got daring and I chose one gold with red large ball with a metal hook. Ah, a choice of hanging device! Where to balance that second big but shorter one? After hanging # 2, I switched them so they had freedom to breathe from other branches poking them and inhibiting them. Good feng shui. There was still more tree with only two big balls on it. I acquiesed, dipped down into the low box, and added a small matte red ball. One decorator man nearby went into the box and handed me a smaller shiny red ornament since I'd been avoiding plain shiny red ones. (Felt Christmasy.) I added another small red one roped in gold looking like a fun percussion shaker. When I felt I was through with my artful hanging collage, the men thanked me "for helping". They could have charged me for helping! Their loss.

Enjoy my little art work with five balls balanced very nicely on the tree. (If it were Easter, they'd be eggs.) If they were bells I would ring them. Do you think they look like funny figs from my favorite mama fig tree? No they are not pomegranates, nor are they passion fruits hanging from my vine. (Shh, when I pick the grapefruit and oranges off my garden trees, I do it so that the citrus left hanging form artful balanced designs as if a decorated tree.)

I hadn't decorated a tree in over half a century since when my childhood friend, Theresa Lenihan McMillan, obm, let me help her, and we hid the "ugly old" decorations from her grandmother in the back of the tree, including the decapitated angel. For assisting, Terry had a stocking for me hanging on her fireplace.

Bo'e Santa.

Chanukah is next week, yay. You should see how I decorate with Chanukah gelt.

PS
I left chocolate Chanukah gelt coins everywhere during my holiday. (Even in my local bank.)

I found the same tree in the medical lobby the next week, but not as I had proudly decorated it. My carefully selected and arranged balls were moved! I should have stayed to supervise!

Fully decorated tree sans ornament 'cluster'
© Joy Krauthammer

PPS
Because of my recent holiday expertise, I was invited to decorate friend Edith's great fresh green tree.
You can see which sparkly joyous ornament I contributed to the cause.

PPPS
I also enjoy purple holiday trees. See photo below. That was the day I sung during the Holiday concert at the Music Center. (That's another story.)