Many may look at my Christmas tree and say, "oh, that's a pretty tree." But, when I look at my tree, I see my story, my legacy, my past, all hanging from its branches.
Foremost, the tree honors my mother. You know her, Kathleen Lounsberry Murray. She left us over 30 years ago and resides in heaven; but, she remains in our hearts and minds everyday. Especially as tears stream down my cheeks as I decorate my tree. Merry Christmas Mom. Wherever you are, please share the holiday with us this year.
I have an old telephone booth, too. It honors Mom; but, also Dad, John Murray another Greenwoodian. Both worked for the telephone company most of their adult lives.
My tree is covered in mercury glass. Mercury glass was first made in the 1850s and was very popular again around 1910. I think my soul must have lived then because I love everything about this time period, from its architecture, clothing, cottage and farmhouse style, to all things that were used to fit up their homes, like button hooks; and tools like old cobblers shoe forms. Thanks to nostalgia buffs, mercury glass made a return in 2010 and I was able to procure it not only for my tree; but, for my daughter's. Crazy as it seems, a tree, a holiday tree, can bring history to life and pass it along to the next generation.
It also has many sleigh bells, rusty old sleigh bells of all sizes. Made into ornaments to pay homage to the days when we traveled by horse and buggy or sleigh. I had collected this snowman made from old sleigh bells many years ago and it was the beginning of a love and a collection.
You may see some commemorative ornaments too. A couple from the White House when a friend invited me to attend the party and tour hosted for the secret service members and their families. Also, one from Andover Central School where I went until 1973 and one from my old high school. Go BDHS! And, a number that represent the time I spent as a consultant for The Workshops of Gerald E Henn. This is where my love of storytelling was born. As a consultant, I went into people's homes and shared the history of basket making, hand-sponged pottery, Frye boxes and Rowe's salt-glaze. All art from a previous time that will live on forever.
My buttons. I can't forget my buttons. Last year, I unearthed all the buttons I had been saving for decades. I don't know where they came from other than they were from my clothing and my children's clothing. The strangest part, they were all in the same color palette. What does that say about me? My kids are both adults and no longer live at home, but, I have the memories of them as children through their buttons...and their stockings hung downstairs, still waiting for Santa.
This year, I decided to also reflect on my love of books. My grandmother, Margaret Murray, an English teacher at good old GCS, gifted me with the love of the classics. We received books for Christmas every year. I remember getting Little Women and staying up all night and finishing that book in the wee hours the day after Christmas. That has remained a tradition of mine. I call re-reading my favorites, visiting with friends, from Jo March to all the women that grace the pages of Jane Austin's works and the Bronte sisters, can't forget them. And, I can't forget to include the legacy of that crazy ol' farmer from Greenwood Hill, my gramps, Albert Lounsberry either. With only an eighth grade education, he was always reading about history and historical fiction. And, of course a love of Greenwood's history through both my Grandpa Stanley and Grandma Margaret Murray. I come by it naturally.
Speaking of the pages of history found in books, this year, I took pages from one of my favorites, Persuasion by my friend Jane (don't worry, I have a couple more copies), and created handmade ornaments for my tree. I carefully created my stencils, traced and cut them from the book pages and added, gold and silver and you guessed it a few buttons, then hung them from my tree.
We can't forget Santa! Handcrafted from a sea shell found at Sunset Beach where I share vacations with my sisters and their families each year; from driftwood, or just the old guy enjoying a nap.
Can you find all my treasures?
Take a picture of your tree and put your memories into words; then share it with us during the 25 Days of Christmas. Or, just share an old Christmas card, or pictures of holidays of days gone by.