Haul Out the Holly

One of the hardest things about living in a tiny apartment in Manhattan is figuring out how to make the place look festive without a Christmas tree. Before moving from Atlanta, I had always gone all out with decorating the tree (sometimes more than one), stringing lights, and covering every flat surface in the house with Christmas frippery. But now, I’ve no space for a tree - even a little one - plus, I go home to Atlanta for Christmas, and I suppose there’s no reason to drag a tree in and out of the place.

So I have to make do with other ways to festoon my living space. Usually, this involves stringing lights around book cases and treading them through the blinds, setting out a few favorite ornaments, lighting a candles that evoke Christmas aromas, and hanging a wreath on my door. A few years back I created my famous book-tree, but as charming as it was, it’s a poor substitute for a wonderfully-scented evergreen. Sigh.

I miss my Christmas tree, so fresh and welcoming and such a thrill to the senses when the lights are plugged in. Each tree different from year to year - some tall and thin, some short and fat, almost all with a side best suited for facing the wall. With every ornament holding memories of past-times, a tree provides endless opportunity for reflection and remembrance throughout the season. I miss all of these things.

But the time has come to trick out my SpaHa abode as best I can, without a tree. Let’s see what I come up with this year. It’s time to haul out the holly and get this season started!