a first

I bought a Christmas Tree from Fred Myers. It is the first time I have had my own, and to my chagrin, I completely love it. I sit by it whenever I can, gazing at the lights and weird collected artifacts with which we have decorated: my mom's stray reading glasses that somehow made it into a package she sent, sea shells from my trip to the virgin islands, a cow vertebrae from Becca in the desert, a gumball machine ring, finger puppets from Ecuador, A photo of our household, another from our wedding, a thank-you card from some good friends, a favorite photo of Luna Dog back when she wasn't so gray, an invitation to my bridal shower, a cool bookmark, some fishing paraphernalia, a copper belt, a necklace of amber, a fuzzy red scarf, a dried sunflower head, a small mirror shaped like a pineapple, my Raggedy Anne Doll. For me it calls to mind an altar: a sacred raised space to help remind us of what we love, what we hold meaningful. All the better that the altar is created by the structure of a tree, a vestige of paganism alive and well in popular America, homage to my pre-christian European roots. And, i love how it smells.