Saturday, December 13, 2008

Decorating for Christmas


We don't have a Christmas tree in our house. We have a Christmas catctus. Well, we have two of them. One is the blooming sort (which I have messed up this year by leaving in the kitchen where the lights are on too much to put it into the blooming mood), and the other is our five foot cactus that spends its summers on the front porch.
The first year I decorated the cactus was the year before we were married. I strung white lights on it, draped it in red tinsel, and the only ornaments on it were red and white striped candy-canes. I cut out a cardboard star and spray it with metallic paint, and stuck it to the tallest 'branch' with a piece of wire. I loved it. It was simple. It was me.
Six years later, I have lost control. Gone are the classy white lights. Last year, my husband insisted on colored lights. Gone are the simple candy canes. Now the cactus is covered with countless hand-painted or hand-strung ornaments the kids have made. Some of them are downright ugly.
But, hey. I'm a mom, and letting my kids make a mess of our cactus is part of the joy of Christmas.

2 comments:

anissa matthews said...

that beautiful picture makes me want to get a cactus. it's brilliant.

Al said...

i love this... it is 'so you' even in its' cluttered-kid-a-fied state of beauty.