Shiny Brites and Bubble Lights

The Second Tree of Christmas

This year Larry's tree sits on our dining room table.  No plans to have guests this year, so that seems like the perfect spot. My husband loves all things antique and developed a special interest in blown glass ornaments, often called Radko or Shiny Brites.  They tend to be rather expensive, especially the antiques, but there are many replicas out there so we can enjoy them guilt free. Even better, new ones are always purchased after Christmas during the "75% Off Sale."

The old fashioned ornaments remind us of days gone by.  Christmas trees were actually that - TREES - and they were chosen with special care and for a few weeks became part of the family.   We bought ours from grocery stores or special lots run by groups like the YMCA or Knights of Columbus.  Actually the"Y's Men's X-Mas Trees" lot is still in operation. (I am not responsible for the bad pun, or the contraction of the word Christmas.)  To us, the tree was Christmas, and we would not have been content with anything artificial.  Well, actually, I was fascinated by those aluminum trees with different colored spotlights shining on them, but of course my family would never have thought of having one.   We used the same ornaments and lights year in and year out, replacing them only when they were broken beyond repair, and occasionally those that had been given to us as gifts. That was before the era of those tiny disposable lights that you see everywhere these days.  Ours were bigger and the bulbs were replaceable.  I don't really know when or where they were purchased, as far as I can remember, they were in the household before I was. There were even one or two "bubble lights" in the set, which I assume had been purchased as replacements.


Christmas is a good time to remember and a good time to look forward, but the best thing to do is celebrate the "now" of our lives. To spend time with those we love, remembering that life is fleeting and that we have not been promised anything beyond this moment.