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I love to decorate my house with all my Christmas stuff. I love to turn off all the lights and sit and ponder life by the light of the Christmas tree alone (clear lights only, please). I have some really special, cool ornaments and decorations. Let me take you on a tour...

This is a Farmer Santa that a friend gave me one year. Too bad she's no longer my friend, but I do love him anyway:

This was a new addition last year and has to be one of my favorite things currently. It's Santa's clothesline, which hangs on the TV stand (Mrs. Claus came by to hang the laundry herself):

My tree-trimming items are as varied and unique as my friends and family. They all have special meaning, but these are among my favorites and they go on the tree first every year, toward the top:

On the top left is what I believe is my oldest ornament. I made that wise man from a cork, some felt and cotton and a pipe cleaner in Sunday school when I was probably about four years old. My Aunt Ruthie was the teacher and it might be one of my earliest memories. I was so proud to hang it on the tree. It is one of only two ornaments my Mom has ever given me from their ornament stash. The next one over is a Beefeater ornament I bought on my first trip to England. The one when I met my friend, Lucy, about 14 years ago. The sparkly ball ornament on the top right is one of many ornaments Lucy's sent me over the years (she's very crafty). The spider ornament on the bottom left was made by my cousin, Renee. She gave it to me when I was on a business trip and got to stay with her family when they lived down in Florida. It came with a typed paper that tells of the legend of the Christmas spider (it's a German legend, I think). The bottom middle stocking was made by my nephew, Andrew, in Sunday school class when he was but a young boy. This Christmas his son, Caden, will celebrate his first Christmas. The last ornament was made by my Grandma (maternal) and it's the other ornament that my Mom gave me out of her box. It's made from some sort of tree pod that's been lined with velvety fabric and embellished with an angel figurine. I remember when Grandma made those and it's one I will cherish forever.

There are so many, but I must mention a few more. I've got S'morenaments (yes, they look like S'mores) that were given to me by my friend Melanie. An angel from Jill. Joyce once gave me a bell ornament that she made. A snowman on a sled, my largest ornament, was given to me by my friend Linda. There's the ornament I got at a Christmas party thrown by Andrea when I caught the cheese ball with the toe of my shoe (hey, I was a hero because it didn't go on the carpet). And the ornament my sister Teresa painted for me last year.

All of my ornaments and decorations are special because of the memories they symbolize. Thank you, blog readers, for letting me wax on about this. I've needed this trip down memory lane to inspire me and help me get geared up for the final push toward Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa to all!