Mrs. Teabody Hangs a Star

Christmas tree teeming with ornaments

or·na·ment: a thing used to make something look more attractive but usually having no practical purpose: Synonyms: knickknack, trinket, bauble, bibelot, gewgaw, gimcrack, furbelow. Call it (them) what you will, Mrs. Teabody loves oranments, ornamentation and perhaps you do, too, Gentle Reader?

The Monday after Thanksgiving was not one of those blissfully harmonious days during which Mrs. Teabody puttered around engaging in frivolous tasks such as Christmas card writing or Christmas present wrapping or poinsettia fluffing. On this particular Monday, Mrs. Teabody had a serious “to do” list which meant that Mr. Teabody could NOT be left to his own devices in the depths of the house to engage in whatever he does “down there” with his stockpile of no fewer than a hundred wrenches, a trio of band saws, many, many large pieces of machines with heavy electrical cords, wheels, car parts. . . No. Christmas draws on apace and while the front entrance had been seasonally enhanced pre-Thanksgiving with one piddly garland around the doorway made festive with solar-powered lights and two wreaths had been stuck against the side of the house in haphazard fashion, Mrs. Teabody was far from happy with the display.

“We NEED to put up lights today,” I said over the morning Cheerios. “This might be the last chance we have,” I added darkly.

Plain, plain, plain front entrance.

“We hardly NEED to put up lights. Not everyone does,” argued Mr. T.

“Oh, but we are not those everyones now, are we?”

“What does that mean?” retorted Mr. T.

“Oh, those ones who go about all Scroogy with some board up their backsides when it comes to showing a little spirit.”

“I hardly think not wanting to hang up lights makes one Scroogy. That’s not a word, you know? Scrooge-like, perhaps?”

“Be that as it may, Scroogy or Scrooge-like, WE ARE having lights and I’d like to think I can count on you to help. I’ll get the ladder. You must deal with the electricals."

Festively-ornamented deer

With that, I set about fluffing up some garland and cutting lengths of weather-proof red ribbon whilst Mister T wandered into the shed emerging with massive ropes of clear lights, nicely wound on four separate boards. As Mr. T tended to the winnowing out of non-working bulbs (amidst some  rather scathing language, I might add), I managed to hang the first swag even though it meant standing on the very next-to-the-top rung. Mrs. T. is a bit long in the tooth for such shenanigans but age rarely stands in the way of determination and I--like a million other Mrs. Teabodys - - WANTED a pretty Christmas display. In less than an hour’s time, a nice collection of faux pine had been affixed to the welcoming side of the house with cheerful crimson ribbon artfully interwoven among its fauxness. It wanted only lights to be finished and the parking lot was full of lengths of lights—all plugged into electrical sources with almost none of them working.

“I have one strand working,” said a disgruntled Mr. T.

“I can see that.” (What I could see was the only working set was also the oldest set and more than half the bulbs were blown.)

“It looks nice without lights,” insisted Mr. T.  gesturing hopefully toward the faux pine made bright with crimson ribbon.

“It will look even nicer WITH lights,” insisted Mrs. T. firmly.

Now it must be said that a high percentage of the male gender have little regard for ornamentation. Unlike practical endeavors such as chopping up a cord of wood or fixing a fence, the hanging of Christmas lights is “make work” and serves no useful purpose. But must we be practical all the time? Heavens to Murgatroyd, no.

I swanned off to attend to some important fruitcake basting leaving Mr. T. to the task of stringing up the lights. A scant ten minutes later I emerged to see Mr. T. put the final lights in place, and I was there for the plugging in. As expected, the glowing pinpoints of light against the green and crimson made the green greener, the crimson crimson-er and the overall effect was most satisfactory.

"Looks lovely, Mr. T. , doesn't it?"

"It does indeed, Mrs. T."

That day marked the beginning of many such efforts toward embracing this happiest of seasons. You have been making these efforts too, no doubt, through your selection of gifts - -not needed, your decorating of the tree - - not needed, the writing and sending of cards - - not needed and the preparation and sharing of  cookies and other delectable treats -- not needed. It is these efforts to ornament life that reveal our desire not to be ho-hum about our existence. These ornaments, these efforts, are like the pinpoints of light against the green and the crimson  which serve no practical purpose but make an enormous difference. A famous architect once said that God is in the details.  Just try to imagine the night sky without stars .  . .