Dance, dance under the Christmas tree

 

A tree in our neighborhood. For 11 months of the year, it is ugly. But in December?

You might think that this post is a bit early, but there is a reason: I want to celebrate Christ's birth, listen to music, decorate with every bulb and garland I can find, and remember every Christmas possible. Christmas cannot wait and neither can I.

Photo taken from our hotel balcony on December 4, 2016 in Chicago

Waiting for Christmas is and has always been the most intense, insane experience of anticipation of all the year.  

Standing in front of the tree and being mesmerized by the lights is the disco ball of the season.  Shaking the presents and guessing their contents is always be part of the game.  The small train around the base wears itself out by the Big Day, only too happy to be packed away for next year’s new batteries and another chance to whistle.

(That was some years ago, when I turned 60 years old.  Then my young granddaughters informed me then that I have to move away from the tree.  It was their time to do the dancing.)

Christmas starts as a spark of joy, and then fills me all up.  Christmas is here!  Christ came into the world as a human, to experience the human pain and suffering.  Christ was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.   Christ dwells within me daily, reminding me that I am part of His family.

James at 6 months, June 22, 2017

Benjamin's 5th birthday, June 26, 2017

I am waiting for Christmas, slightly removed from the tree’s perimeter to allow children of all ages to dance wildly.

The spark is there and starting to burst into the “Hallelujah Chorus”! 

From YouTube

Do you get that spark?  Are the memories of Christmas both looking back and being in the present?  Are you still dancing?  Do you have to push the kids and grand-kids out of the way?
 

All in double digits, we have arthritis, and our family is all over the world. The rest of the Kane clan will be on and about to see other family members. So we now regroup with remaining older Kanes and try to dance. 

So, while there are no small dancers here with us, we will dance up a storm for at least 15 minutes, give or take.

Trees have right-a-way.

 Trees are patient.  Trees go and grow wherever there is food, water, and light. Trees do not care what year, decade, century or millennia it is.

Rainbow Eucalyptus

Roots can put on bark...

 

 

 

 

In California, Santa Barbara  

Moreno bay fig tree, brought to US by sailors from Australia

 

pring and early summer.

Camel Thorn (Vachellia erioloba), Africa

 

Cannon ball tree

Cannonball Tree (Couroupita guianensis)

 

 

 Methuselah , 5000 yrs old

Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva)

Arbol del tule

 

 

 

We were there twice recently. Yosemite Park

 

 This would be quite a tour to take. Wish we could see these miracles of creation in life.

I was a 8-yr old tree climber.  Dad kept tearing down our boards nailed to a monstrous maple. We gave up, but my 9 yr old brother Robert, 5 yr old Bill, and 3 yr old Mary grabbed an ax and we went down to the creek to cut down trees and make a cabin.

 

Now I have to take the next two weeks carefully. Sigh. Please keep commenting. It means a lot to me.