Christmas Memory 5

Mema, my grandmother, was obsessed with how her tree looked form the outside. She positioned it in the bay window which was visible for about two blocks as you came up the main street into town. The tree was decorated on that side first, then moved back to the windows. As she got older, she refused to let anyone but my Aunt Linda decorate her tree. I should say Aunt Linda was tasked with it, since she wasn't exactly eager to be micromanaged as she tree trimmed. The bay widows had these wood inserts that made them look lke they had multiple panes. A red velvet ribbon suspended a red glitter Christmas ball in the exact center of each pane. The same thumbtack hole was used every year and if the ribbon placed the ball lower than the others in that row, a search had to be made to find the correct length ribbon to replace it before Aunt Linda could move on to another pane.

I attribute a chunk of my OCD type habits to Mema, like all the window shades having to be the same level but I am grateful for long suffering Aunt Linda's retelling or her decorating ordeal. While Mema's absurd devotion to decorating for the neighbors isn't a fond memory, the willingness of everyone around her to put up with it to make her happy is, as is the hysterical recollections of said ordeal.