Since my husband has had to work so much lately (last week he worked 7 days!), we were late getting a tree. I actually went by myself to get the tree this year. I got it Sunday, and until today, there wasn’t an ornament on it except for the one I got at the ornament party on Friday.

Hubby has always been the one to put on the lights. I’m terrible at that, so he does the lights, I do the ornaments. This year, we could only afford a small tree, not much taller than my 5’3″ (and that’s stretching it) height. I was actually able to do the lights myself, and I’m thinking I might just like having the smaller tree.

The first ornaments that went on today were a set of Mickey Mouse ornaments that used to belong to my best friend who died in May 2011. Not too long after her death, her mother, her sister, and I traveled 500 miles to help her husband sort out her things and decide what to do with them. Her family was SO generous in what they let me take, and these ornaments were part of that. I didn’t even ask for them, but her family knew that the love of all things Disney was something she and I had shared. So I got all her Disney stuff. When I put those ornaments on the tree, I felt like I was honoring her in some way. It’s a mixture of joy and sorrow. Joy because we had so many good times, so many wonderful memories. Sorrow because I miss her so very much. More than I can explain with words. I have tears as I write this.

Last year was such a whirlwind of bad stuff. I lost my father on Thanksgiving Day. I found out I had diabetes in December, on the same day of the Sandy Hook shooting. Hubby and I just decided we would buy cheap ornaments and not even try to get the good ones down. Our cats were still young enough that I thought they would destroy the tree anyway, which they really didn’t. So last year was a bust with Christmas decorations.

So this year, even though we are doing it late, I’m determined to make the most of decorating, enjoy doing it, and enjoy the results. The holidays are going to be great this year. They HAVE to be. And it’s all starting with those beautiful Mickey Mouse ornaments that remind me of a person who always had joy in her heart and mischief in her mind. I’m thinking of you, my friend who resides in Paradise. I know you laugh at me every day for the silly things I do. I miss your sarcasm, your unrestrained laugh, and your kind soul. You are always in my heart.