Cedars, of course, shed needles if left up too long. However, they trimmed off the lower branches and then set the tree in a pail of wet sand — “It really was nice.”

With budgets so tight, and this being their first Christmas, they decided to have a very old-fashioned one and make all of their decorations and what fun it was. Actually starting weeks before, remembering their childhood days and some of the fun they had had as kids helped a lot.

They collected those little spiny balls from the gum-wood trees, dabbed glue over them and then dusted them with glitter, attaching yarn with glue for hangers. They also made tiny little drums by cutting sections from the cardboard roll from the toilet tissue, by stretching fabric around them, then glued colorful caps of fabric over the open end.

They found bittersweet vines full of berries to wind among the tree branches.

The family cut little hearts from colorful Christmas fabrics (about 3 inches across) with pinking shears, sewing them with yarn just back from the pinked edge and stuffing them with cotton, using yarn again for hangers. They made a dozen or so to hang all over the tree.

As kids they remembered collecting milkweed pods, cleaning out all of the seeds and fuzz, then painting the inside red and green to hang on the tree. They also added glue to the outside and then sprinkled glitter all over them. Popcorn strings wrapped around the branches.

As Christmas cards began to arrive, some of them were placed on the tree. They are saving all of them to use again next year and maybe for years to come.

Such a beautiful story, and a really true Christmas. Thanks for sharing. Bye now. God Bless you and yours.

Aunt Norie, P.O. Box 265, Tonganoxie 66086; auntnorie@att.net.