Way back before the twenty-first century began, in 1999, there was an extraordinary garden store in Santa Barbara, Smith & Hawken, where I purchased an ornamental Christmas tree crafted of graceful scrolled twisted bronze wire. Seven feet high and very easy to assemble.
For the first ten years I lived rural in the hills and valleys of Pauma Valley, I placed the tree on the terrace there and decorated it with lights and ornaments.
Every one of those years, the Santa Ana winds upended the tree and sent its decorations, multiple branches, and frame sailing into the canyons below.
The tree survived but is weathered and bent sort of like me. It has been stored in the garage ever since.
This year, I brought the tree indoors and set it up in the arched window of my home overlooking the San Diego skyline. Tiny silver lantern lights, glittery golden stars, shimmery snowflakes and dozens of balls covered with many mini mirrors transformed the iron relic into a fairyland scene of sparkle the moment I finished. I walked quickly to the First Street Bridge to see how it twinkled in the darkness.
Imagine my surprise the next day at noon as the warm San Diego sun moved slowly east to west shining into my living room. A catch-my-breath moment as radiant sunshine spots, each bright and shiny as a new quarter and about the same size, danced around the entire room—on the floor, furniture, walls, and beamed ceiling.
My tree lights up the night and does double duty each afternoon.
A very disco-ish Christmas.
Turn on all the lights inside you this Christmas season.
I just bought a wrought iron tree and hope for similar magical results!
Chris
Lovely lovely lovely!!!Your description took my breath away! Truly awesome! AH CHRISTMAS! Nanny
Great story. I have an artificial small tree with white lights that I decorate with wooden ornaments painted by my children when they were young. I add three ornaments from my grandmother's tree and some that friends have made for me. Many special memories. MM
I love your Christmas tree. I look at one of our trees that I've had for 26 years. Same ornaments but I add to them each year. Sometimes old is better than new. Unless you're a person. JL Go Chiefs