We moved to our house in Antipolo in December of 1999. We left Novaliches at around 3am with my sister Darlene and her then boyfriend now turned husband (who also happens to be Jay's childhood buddy) Bong, and Aling Ine, my ever-dependable alalay. We made one stop in the midst of Quezon City (I forgot exactly where) to pick up a few pieces of furniture we had made before proceeding to our destination. It was drizzling which I liked... nothing like cool light showers on your face as you move into your new home... such peace.
Well, I'm not here to talk about that exactly. I'm here to talk about... Right! Christmas trees...:)
When we moved, we had everything prepared down to the last spoon and wash rag. What we didn't have at the time was a Christmas tree and I wouldn't have it. I wouldn't spend my very first Christmas, in my very own house, without a Christmas tree. So on the second week before Christmas, we went out to buy ourselves our very first Christmas tree. Thanks to the Pinoy's habit of putting up trees two months before Christmas, we weren't left with much to choose from. We did manage to find a cheap, but nice enough tree at SM, rather at Gibson's in SM. It must have been around six feet tall cause I couldn't look down on its top. I didn't want a lot of decors put up in the tree. I just wanted bells and balls, in blue and silver, and maybe some ribbons.
We didn't find any nice bells so that had to go. There were no blue decors left either so that had to go too. We did find balls in silver and sadly had to settle for a green combination... well, either that or red. We then looked at the ribbons... most were done in red and gold with a lot of glitters... nope, tacky. We did find a wide silver ribbon which was only slightly glittery and still wanting blue in my tree, picked up one done in a nice royal blue. I threw in a couple of rolls, slimmer ones, still in blue and silver... for added touch (Darlene cut them into strips, made them into bows and tied one on each tip of the branches... some touch huh). We also found an angel to put on top of the tree. A doll angel, with a pretty face and golden hair, clothed in silver and wings of white. And of course we got Christmas lights... this one was in abundance and we got 4 strands of them.
At that time, Darlene was staying with us during the week to house-sit and went home on week-ends. Since I was working, she took it upon herself to put up the tree. I was glad she did cause she's a lot better in these things than I am and as it turned out, she did a really nice job.
The following year, I was smarter and bought my Christmas decors way ahead of time. Blue and silver were no longer the color of the year but I still wanted them on my tree. I found some really nice silver bells and blue balls. I also found a nice mat... done in red, blue and abacca. I put that under the tree, scattered my collection of angels and candles, and layed down each gift as it came... all under the tree. Darlene even came up to Antipolo to help put up the tree... oh, the heart of that girl. Everything else went back except for the previous year's green and silver balls... the blue and silver ribbons twined around the tree and the small bows tied to the tip of each branch. But this time, Darlene only wrapped two strings of Christmas lights. The other two, she used to frame the windows on each side of the tree... and it was simply beautiful.
Last year, we went home in November and I wanted to put up the tree while I was there. Again, Darlene was there to help. But as she was taking the tree out of the box, one of the tripod legs broke and the tree wouldn't stand. I left not seeing my tree glitter. I never bothered to call and ask if they were able to fix it. I didn't want to care. It was lonely enough to be spending Christmas in Singapore. Caring would have made it more lonely.
This year, we're going home for Christmas. I've said a dozen times to a dozen friends that I wouldn't be caught dead spending Christmas away from home again. Two weeks ago, I called up Elena to ask if she could buy a new tree cause the one we had was broken. She said they were able to fix it, prop it up in a flower pot... well, well... so my tree's still good. Right now, it's standing tall and pretty, perched on its flower pot, waiting to welcome us home.
You might feel like asking... why don't I just buy a new tree?... why bother with a broken one? Well, I think I'll stick to my old tree. You can't really throw things like that until they're good and ready... like memories. Shall I tell you again about our old little silver tree? It had a silver frame and the leaves.... :)
Well, I'm not here to talk about that exactly. I'm here to talk about... Right! Christmas trees...:)
When we moved, we had everything prepared down to the last spoon and wash rag. What we didn't have at the time was a Christmas tree and I wouldn't have it. I wouldn't spend my very first Christmas, in my very own house, without a Christmas tree. So on the second week before Christmas, we went out to buy ourselves our very first Christmas tree. Thanks to the Pinoy's habit of putting up trees two months before Christmas, we weren't left with much to choose from. We did manage to find a cheap, but nice enough tree at SM, rather at Gibson's in SM. It must have been around six feet tall cause I couldn't look down on its top. I didn't want a lot of decors put up in the tree. I just wanted bells and balls, in blue and silver, and maybe some ribbons.
We didn't find any nice bells so that had to go. There were no blue decors left either so that had to go too. We did find balls in silver and sadly had to settle for a green combination... well, either that or red. We then looked at the ribbons... most were done in red and gold with a lot of glitters... nope, tacky. We did find a wide silver ribbon which was only slightly glittery and still wanting blue in my tree, picked up one done in a nice royal blue. I threw in a couple of rolls, slimmer ones, still in blue and silver... for added touch (Darlene cut them into strips, made them into bows and tied one on each tip of the branches... some touch huh). We also found an angel to put on top of the tree. A doll angel, with a pretty face and golden hair, clothed in silver and wings of white. And of course we got Christmas lights... this one was in abundance and we got 4 strands of them.
At that time, Darlene was staying with us during the week to house-sit and went home on week-ends. Since I was working, she took it upon herself to put up the tree. I was glad she did cause she's a lot better in these things than I am and as it turned out, she did a really nice job.
The following year, I was smarter and bought my Christmas decors way ahead of time. Blue and silver were no longer the color of the year but I still wanted them on my tree. I found some really nice silver bells and blue balls. I also found a nice mat... done in red, blue and abacca. I put that under the tree, scattered my collection of angels and candles, and layed down each gift as it came... all under the tree. Darlene even came up to Antipolo to help put up the tree... oh, the heart of that girl. Everything else went back except for the previous year's green and silver balls... the blue and silver ribbons twined around the tree and the small bows tied to the tip of each branch. But this time, Darlene only wrapped two strings of Christmas lights. The other two, she used to frame the windows on each side of the tree... and it was simply beautiful.
Last year, we went home in November and I wanted to put up the tree while I was there. Again, Darlene was there to help. But as she was taking the tree out of the box, one of the tripod legs broke and the tree wouldn't stand. I left not seeing my tree glitter. I never bothered to call and ask if they were able to fix it. I didn't want to care. It was lonely enough to be spending Christmas in Singapore. Caring would have made it more lonely.
This year, we're going home for Christmas. I've said a dozen times to a dozen friends that I wouldn't be caught dead spending Christmas away from home again. Two weeks ago, I called up Elena to ask if she could buy a new tree cause the one we had was broken. She said they were able to fix it, prop it up in a flower pot... well, well... so my tree's still good. Right now, it's standing tall and pretty, perched on its flower pot, waiting to welcome us home.
You might feel like asking... why don't I just buy a new tree?... why bother with a broken one? Well, I think I'll stick to my old tree. You can't really throw things like that until they're good and ready... like memories. Shall I tell you again about our old little silver tree? It had a silver frame and the leaves.... :)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home