Erin’s Family Christmas Tree Tidbits [PHOTOS]

The Christmas tree is finally up at my parents' house. Finally? When most people put up their trees before Thanksgiving these days, my Mom still waits until after my sister's birthday (December 10) to put up our tree. But of course, it doesn't go up without some hemming and hawing.

I went home Friday afternoon, and Mom was trying to decide when the tree was going to go up. First of all, we have an artificial tree, we have had one for years, and it hadn't even made it into the house yet. If my Dad has one job, it's to bring the tree in. Not only is our tree artificial, we now have a pre-lit tree. It's not rocket science, but I kid. I went to some basketball games Friday night, and I just knew Mom was still speculating on when and how the tree would go up. I wake up Saturday morning, and I notice Mom has dragged out all the trimmings, which start with this box.

For as long as I can remember, ornaments, lights, etc. have been stored in this old Imperial Whiskey box. I looked up Imperial and it is/was distilled in Bardstown. However, Mom said she got the box from her old job at Rice Drugs, because a pharmaceutical company in Evansville sent their over the counter supplies to the store in this box, and she saved it and 41 years later, she still has it.

I'll see folks who store their holiday decorations in plastic bins, but not for us, it's all old boxes and plastic bags. And it's always been stored in our living room closet. This goes for the wrapping paper too.

As Mom was putting the finishing touches on the tree, she grabbed one last ornament. I wasn't sure what it meant, but Mom told me a great story. She gave my Grandmother Morris (her Mom) this ornament when Granny was living at an assisted living facility. She put it up on a window. Well, one day it fell and one of the wings broke off. Mom got upset, but Granny said "don't worry about it, it looks fine". Mom repaired what she could and she put it back up. Granny had that little angel until she passed away a couple days after Christmas five years ago; I'm so blessed I got to see her one more time on Christmas Day that year.

Here's the finished product.