Hooks

It's insane how many tree ornaments we own.  I think this is the result for anyone who has been a teacher, a mother or a collector.  And I happen to be all three!

But I love unpacking them every year and remembering the memory attached to many of them.

My favorite is this one .....

What is that? You may be asking.

And to be honest, it's very difficult to identify unless you hold it in your hand, turn it over a couple of times until you ask.  "Hmmmmmm ..... is it a little baggie of replacement tree light bulbs?"

As a matter of fact, it IS a little baggie of replacement tree light bulbs!  (Y'know, the ones that come in the new box of lights you have to buy every year when you discover the light strings that you are about to hang on your tree don't work!)

The year was 2002 - the first year that Joe really helped hang ornaments.  And he LOVED it so much that he didn't really pay attention to the ornaments, because the hooks were super cool.

So he delighted in adding the hooks.

And when it was time to put away Christmas,  I found that little baggie of bulbs hanging near the bottom of the tree, and knew immediately that Joe had put that hook on it thinking it was an ornament.

And now it hangs on our tree every year.

To some, it's just a little baggie of replacement tree light bulbs.

But to me it's the DELIGHT of Christmas!