24 Days of Ornaments: Dec the 2nd

If my mother's Christmas trees had a theme, it was determined by color. One year the flocked aluminum tree sported all green balls, the next red. I don't remember there being cutesy Santas or handmade pipecleaner efforts on the tree. Mother was all about symmetry.

None of that rubbed off on me. Or, perhaps it did, just in the opposite way. Our tree, as you're going to see, is all about memory--and a few reindeer. And cats. And kangaroos.

Today's featured ornament is the latest to be added to my collection. I found it at an antique show in Austin this past weekend. Technically, I don't think it's an ornament. It's felt and about 5x7. There's a way to hang it on the top. I saw it in the booth and went to it like a fly to honey. I loved the stylistic antlers. I picked it up, then noticed there were 4 others of the same ilk, just different colors and drawings. I don't remember them. I turned it over and read "Paul, Vi, and Debbie." So, what did the others say? Three were "Paul and Vi", one other as the reindeer. A growing family--now at an antique show, discarded by Debbie?

But, now I knew they were greeting cards! Of felt! I wonder why that didn't last?

The man in the booth noticed my interest. "Four for $12," he told me.

"There are five of them."

"Five for 12."

But I didn't want the yellow and violet and red and blue ones. I wanted the green reindeer. I put it down and walked away.

"Or one for $3."

He had me and he knew it.

My newest reindeer had a new home.