Since we celebrated Thanksgiving a day early. We decided to enjoy the actual Thanksgiving Day setting up our holiday tree.We bought this artificial tree a couple of years ago when we moved to Hawaii. It's so much easier to set up than our 20 year old tree that we left behind in Chicago. This tree comes in 4 parts. The stand and 3 sections of the tree.
We put the tree together and spread the branches.
The last section barely cleared the top of the slanted ceiling.
We like the fact that the tree does not take up a lot of space.
I loved seeing again, all the ornaments that students had given me through the years. I wrote their names on the ornaments and every time I see it, I see their beautiful smiling faces.
The tree is now ready for KC's presents. We may not be Christian but we love celebrating the excitement, love and cheer of the season.
We thought we were done with Thanksgiving, but a friend stopped by with spinach rolls and jello squares that made the day special. Then our neighbor stopped by to share their bounty. There were three kinds of kimchee, at least 4 different kinds of dessert and a bag full of avocados. Wow! We are certainly having a thankful Thanksgiving... again!!!
I love it that Buddhism has such a big heart that there is room for many holiday customs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dina. If only all faiths were as accommodating.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving!
Hi Kay. I have insomnia. Just slept an hour.
ReplyDeleteI love your tree. Wasn't it located somewhere else last year?
What an intriguing way to serve jello! Very pretty!
Happy Holidays!
Tree, what fun. I really love this time of year with all the decorations and food and friends and food and presents and food...and...
ReplyDeleteYour tree looks beautiful Kay. How about the Christmas cards? I want to get started on mine this weekend.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is wonderful, Kay, and being artificial it can be set up a month early, no problem! It looks great, and it seems to me that as soon as you started to put it up, gifts started arriving. What fun!
ReplyDeleteSee you soon.
-- K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
OK, you win. I doubt if anyone else I know has their tree up yet!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great little artificial tree. And ornaments made/given by students is very special.
We still have the older, hard to put together artificial tree. I think it will be next week or later before I get to it. Wehave a lot of clean up to do outside and then we'll get up the outdoor lights first. But yes, tis the season.
Am I picking up that KC will be there for Christmas this year?
Your tree is so lovely!
ReplyDeleteWe are not Christians either-I identify strongly with Buddhism-and we still celebrate also.
I'm just into the Spirit now and so its fun and inspiring to see how others celebrate. We always do a little something for Solstice too. Its fun to partake in different traditions.
I adored your post yesterday,what a feast! And I'm drooling over your gifts today. Yum!
A double thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do so like that tree. I'm charmed by the decorations. :) We do Christmas like you do....but this is a year of getting rid of ornaments. Oh, how do I do that.
I'm still trying to decide whether to clean first or put up the tree...
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving in the Islands always blows me away. It's so non-traditional and yet very much in the spirit of the holiday.
ReplyDeleteThis non-Christian also enjoys the holiday season. We're free to celebrate it as we please.
Dina and Tilly: I guess that's why I've been content with the premise of Buddhism. When I asked my grandfather (zen priest) what religion was best, he said it's not really the religion but what man does with it. There's good and bad done with every religion so it's dependent in the end on what man chooses to do.
ReplyDeleteDina: Do you remember that we loved celebrating the beauty of Hanukkah with your family, too?
Gigi: What good eyes you have... and a good memory, much better than mine. Yes, we had to move it this year because we're going to be hosting a rather large family holiday party. The tree last year was placed where the buffet line will have to be. However, we rather like where we put it this year so I do believe that will be its permanent place every holiday season from now on.
Linda Reeder: YES! We're so excited! They'll be here in a couple of weeks. I can hardly believe it.
Beautiful tree. I just got mine set up, too (not decorated yet though), and one whole strand of lights is out. DRAT!! I hate when that happens.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is beautiful and it is nice to have ornaments on the tree that means something to us. The food also looks so yummy. Thank you for the birthday wish. We still have no snow but it is very chilly out.
ReplyDeleteLast year we came to our senses and bought a new tree, about this size of yours. The previous tree was maybe 10-12 feet high and a real pain to decorate: ladders, the whole bit. Your tree is beautiful. We'll put ours up an a couple of weeks, I imagine. First we MUST have snow!
ReplyDeleteholidays are occasions for everyone to celebrate. I like your tree. I just bought my first artificial tree and look forward to decorating it-it's only 4 ft. high but fine for our small home!
ReplyDeleteSharing the abundance is one of the things I loved about Hawaii. I was in a park where a wedding took place and even though I was clearly not part of the group, someone still brought a huge plate of food to me at my table across the way. I saw them delivering food to other tables as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd our neighbors had a huge party, which we attended, then the next night Keith was back at our door. He said, "We still have choke food. You come. Eat. And bring plates to carry food home in."
I love your tree and all the memories it represents for you. I won't have mine up for a while yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing the ornaments that hold so many memories for me.
ReplyDeleteI love your tree. I love the idea of mixing traditions.
ReplyDeleteKay, your tree is wonderful! I love that you put all the ornaments your students made on there! I'm glad you had such a nice Thanksgiving from your neighbors!!
ReplyDeleteYour honorable grandfather was a wise man.
ReplyDeleteYes, Chanuka together with you was fun at our house, and I think the "holiday tree" at your house was the first time my little kids had seen such a thing.
I couldn't agree with Dina more...
ReplyDelete