Oh Christmas Tree

Today was Laundry Day. I ended up at the Oaklyn Library while the laundry was in the dryer. Poor Dad was sick with a nasty cold, and I figured it would be best if I just left him alone. I returned the Thanksgiving books and Christmas In America and took out a book of kids' Christmas stories that looks like it's from the 50s, a children's book about Christmas traditions and crafts, A Child's Christmas In Wales, and two books with recipes and ideas for giving food as gifts at Christmas. I also took out The Christmas Toy, a cute but rarely-seen Muppet Christmas special. The kindergarden kids who occasionally go to the Library with their teacher were in the Children's Section when I arrived. I got to listen to the teacher read The Berenstein Bears Meet Santa Bear, one of the earlier paperback Berenstein Bears books and one that Mom's had for years. (I imagine she still reads it to Skylar.)

I put my Christmas tree up when I got in. I only had the time put put the tree itself together. My tree is artificial. Mom bought it for me when I lived in Wildwood and didn't trust a real tree around that huge old heater in my apartment. I've always loved my tree. It's the perfect size for me, just enough that I don't have to stand on a stool to put the star on top. There's huge gaps in the tree, and if it were a real tree, it would be called scrawny, but it has lots of room for decorations. Good thing, too, because I have a ton of decorations, collected from yard sales, thrift shops, my childhood, the Acme's after-Christmas sales, and Mom's yearly heirloom ornament gifts to us.

Work was dead for most of the night, except for during the 4PM-6PM rush hour, when it was mobbed. Lots of obnoxious beginning-of-the-month people, otherwise no problems.