Ornamental

Close your eyes and think of an ornament from your parent's or grandparent's Christmas tree, or maybe a menorah from way back that you saw at your relative's many many Hanukahs ago. I can remember some really ugly weird ornaments my mom and dad saved from WWII when there was rationing and you couldn't get anything but these cheesy prehistoric plastic bulbs. I'll never forget those ornaments. But where did they go?

I will forget some of my ornaments from last year however, since I'm managed to misplace one of two boxes of my Christmas stuff. Ugh. I did not lose the nativity scene figures. I did not lose my very deep collection of Barbie ornaments (Silk Flame Barbie, Harley Davidson Barbie, Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot on the NYC Subway Grate Barbie, 1960's Black and White Striped Maillot Barbie). I didn't lose my 7 odd Snoopy ornaments from Whitman's Sampler chocolate boxes. I did not lose our Scoobie Doo on his toboggan ornament. I did not lose my 1957 light blue convertible Chevy Bel Air with the Christmas tree and presents in the back ornament. I did not lose my Dunkin Donuts faux styrofoam cup ornament. I did not lose my Wiliams Sonoma silver frying pan, grater, whisk or knife, fork, spoon ornaments but they are all tarnished and need polishing. Problem is, I lost a lot of stuff and I can't remember what was in the box. Also, I don't think it's LOST lost, but merely hiding somewhere under some box.

The tree lists a bit to the right, but looks very cheery decked with lots of little white lights and all the ornaments I still have. It smells great and I can still do the thing I like to do best at Christmas, lie on my back under the edge of the tree, and like a car mechanic, slip my head up under the bottom of the tree, pretend I'm in a pine forest and look up at the lights and with any luck see my face all stretched and excited in the reflection of a red glass bulb.