December 30th, 2021

As has become our tradition (i.e. since we moved to Florida), we spent Christmas Eve with Joy and Bob.  Joy and I take turns hosting and this year it was our turn.  Initially I had some doubts has to whether or not we should go ahead and take our hosting turn this time around.  I mean we are still living on what is essentially a construction site and as a consequence we are seriously crunched for space and for heaven's sakes, we didn't even have a real Christmas Tree to put our presents around before we opened them!

But eventually I came to my senses and realized that those piddly little things don't matter. In fact, it will make it all the more memorable.  Ten years from now we can say, hey remember the Construction Christmas year?  And it will be something to laugh about.

So we gathered together anyway.   I got clever and brought the teensy tiny table top Christmas Tree to the ottman, turned a tray upside down so that it had a level surface and voila, we had a Christmas Tree to gather around.  We ate dinner, we opened our stocking gifts to each other which means we laughed A LOT, we ate the yummy pumpkin pie that Joy brought and then, as has become tradition when it's our turn to host, we went to the arboretum to admire the lights.

I know that I've explained this before and perhaps there is something similar where you live but I will quickly explain if you are unaware.  There is an exceptionally pretty and good sized park here on the island called Blalock Park.  It is officially an arbortetum with many many different kinds of trees and shrubs - most of them with little signs explaining what they are.  There are trails and statues of native critters, a good sized gazebo, benches and a butterfly garden.  It is a lovely place any time of the year but at Christmas it's extra special.

The offer goes out to any individual, family or group that wants to "adopt" a bit of greenery to decorate for Christmas.  It is always beautiful and while a few bits of decor remain the same year to year, most of it changes.  This was a banner year.  More people signed up to be adoptors than in any year past.  The arboretum was nearly ablaze with lights. It. Was. Awesome!

Some of the decorations were interactive, like the angel wings above.  But there were a few new ones this year.  One, an ode to the circus history on the island and the other, just a bit of whimsy.  We took full advantage of both:

Let's see, how shall I group them?    

There were quite a number of snowmen.  Perhaps because snow people do not exist naturally in Florida? Not sure why but it was a very popular theme:

And probably for the same reason, a lot of snowflakes.  I think about all of the contemporary Christmas songs that involve snow:  Frosty the snowman, White Christmas,  Let it Snow come to mind immediately.  Maybe we are in need of some non snow related Christmas songs?  At any rate - snowflake decorations:

Santa, his elves and his reindeer were everywhere!

Many other animals, maybe not so traditional but still dang cute anway:

There were a lot of angels and a lot of stars.  Makes perfect sense to me!

A few things that were, well, unexpected and a couple that defied explanation but what they heck....why not?

And some that were very creative and other that were just beautiful:

All in all, it was, as it always is, a perfect Christmas Eve.

Hope yours was too.

And that should be the last of the Christmas related posts for this year!