Christmas 1959. The first Christmas after I married. We were both college students, living in old Army barracks convereted to married student housing. No money. We waited until the last minute to buy a tree from an almost empty lot - the smallest tree left. We bought two boxes with a dozen tiny colored glass balls - I'm sure at the time they were less than $1 a box. And we splurged on one box of lovely and fragile glass ornaments - I believe there were originally eight in the box. We didn't even have lights on that tree.
After 51 years, the tiny glass balls that have survived decorate a tiny artificial tree to brighten a small corner.
I don't put the fragile ornaments on the tree anymore- I lay them out in a shallow bowl. In my heart they represent the new beginnings and boundless hopes of those tender years. There are five left including the tree top ornament and my personal favorite - the teapot - although I also like the horn ....and the bell....
I must admit, I almost always shed a few tears when I unpack these precious memories!
