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COLLECTIONS

I am not a collector. But for those of you who remember my mother, she was definitely a collector. Of things.

Of EVERYTHING.

Dishes, glassware, magazines, Avon bottles, quilts, jewelry, knick knacks and tchotchkes.

Matchbooks, ashtrays, fancy liquor bottles, empty boxes, doilies and table linens.

Balls of string, loops of wire, twist ties and the bread bag, and rubber bands off the daily newspaper.

Everything was a collection of sorts. She always referenced the Great Depression as her reason for being a keeper, saying she learned to save every little thing in case you needed it later.

I don’t know if being raised this way influenced my streamlined lifestyle, perhaps it did. But I do have one collection.

Christmas ornaments.

I started my collection in 1979 with “Our First Christmas”. Hallmark ornaments and collections were all the rage in the 70’s, and each one came dated. I have added one each year since, and every year I try to get one that reflects what we did that year- Peanuts, The Muppets, “My First Christmas” for each of our girls, and our vacations.

I must carefully remove them from their boxes, as some are growing quite brittle after 30-40 years. Each ornament takes me to that year and time. The meager years were marked by small, more affordable ones, which are where some of the best memories are! I’ve gathered them from many places. New York, San Francisco, Hawaii, Alaska—I’ve carefully packed them in suitcases and brought them home. I date each one with the year, and they have become a beloved part of our Christmas preparation. When our daughters were still at home, it was a great time as we hung up the memories—Disneyland, New York City, trips to the mountains. They always argued over who would get the Muppets ones, and Sparkle Bright is still a hot item.

I inherited my Mom’s collection, which I have incorporated with my own, and some have moved to my daughter’s trees. Occasionally I’ll consider having a fun trendy tree, with a flashy style or bright colors for a change, but as the time draws near to start, I always opt back to my old-fashioned tree with my vintage ornaments, and keeping that tradition alive. This year I’ve introduced my grands to the ornaments, and we checked them out thoroughly. Hopefully when they are older, they’ll have fond memories of Nonna and Grandpa’s tree. I have moved the tradition forward, giving each one their own “My First Christmas” ornament.

While those fun trees are pretty, they don’t have the story to tell that my tree does…a story of a well-lived life. This year, we didn't travel because of the pandemic, and I think my ornament for 2020 shares an opinion that we all have: