It's Not a Village Without a Newspaper

I think we managed to pick out our best tree ever. It’s a beautiful spruce from a tree farm in Spalding, Mich., which is practically Canada. Not exactly local. Oh well.

We hauled it in from the sleet this afternoon, let it dry out a bit, then decorated it this evening. It’s the first time we’ve been able to really enjoy trimming the tree with the kids, using the good ornaments and trusting them to hang them on their own.

What great fun.

My favorite part is talking about our ornaments as we unpack them. We often choose ornaments as souvenirs when we travel. And we have loads of ornaments from loved ones. So each one is wrapped in its own set of stories to share. This is the first year that the stories resonated with both kids.

My Christmas village is also up…I just know I’m going to be one of those old ladies with a house in which every horizontal surface is covered in faux snow, ceramic buildings and strings of lights.

Unfortunately, unless I annex another flat surface, I’m limited to what I can fit on my piano.

This is the first year I’ve ever purchased a piece. All the other buildings in my village were gifts or passed down. But, I couldn’t resist snagging the Daily Gazette today. After all, it just wouldn’t be a village without a daily newspaper. What else would hold the community together?