Burl Ives saved Christmas

I had said earlier that we would not have a Christmas tree this year, I just did not feel like it, not in the mood.
Also we have been traveling a lot to Europe and I have been very busy at the National Gallery of Canada, so I thought oh fudge, no way this year.

We were grocery shopping this week and looking for something in Aisle 5, can't remember what now, our grocery store on Bank street is very convenient and they have everything. They also have had Christmas music for the last 2 weeks though the volume is low.

So suddenly I hear Burl Ives (1909-1995) sing A Holly Jolly Christmas.  He has a great voice and I always liked him, his voice has a certain smile in it. It is also a period of my life the 1960's which I like to remember fondly. Well it is funny how one song can change your mood. Then Will said something about not polishing all 30 Sterling Silver Christmas balls for the tree. We do have other Sterling Silver ornaments but I don't know I just did not feel like it. This week also has been a wash out weather wise in Ottawa, gray sky and mild weather, some freezing rain.

So thanks to Burl Ives, we put the tree up and got the ornaments on that we have been collecting for the last 35 years from around the world. Some Wedgwood, some Baccarat cristal, the rest of the silver including 4 balls of selected years, I like to remember where we were that year, not always in Canada. We also put up the Russia porcelain ornaments and the ornaments from Italy and Germany, all hand made. Tomorrow night I will put the Star on top, the same old star we have now for 35 years, made of golden tin foil and bought at the dollar store, strange, but to me it is the most important ornament of the lot. We also have the Crèche from Poland hand carved by an artist we knew. A tree is not the same without the Crèche and Nativity scene.