Mt husband had an appointment for routine tests today at the VA in Huntington, which is about 2-hour drive down the Ohio River. I went with him because he was getting his eyes dilated. We both remembered that we'd seen mistletoe--lots of it--in trees along this route, so today we drove with our eyes searching the treetops.
Because it just isn't Christmas without the kissing ball being hung with mistletoe, right?
My mother made one every year, and it is part of
my many fond memories of Christmas. Some years back I made one for our home, and at first it held just plastic mistletoe. Then we discovered some close to home. But over the years the patch has dwindled and I've been searching for another source. Route 2 along the river is like the motherlode of mistletoe, but getting it is not so easy.
We noted locations as we drove today: that tree too close to the railroad tracks, those trees too far over a steep bank, those too close to houses and probably on private property. But we spotted one that looked possible. It was off the road a bit but still on the right0of-way, no houses nearby, and on level ground. Larry had brought along his shotgun but we didn't want to use it because it's very noisy and might upset people. So we figured we'd chuck rocks up into the tree and maybe knowck down a few bits--just enough for my kissing ball.
We stopped on our way back, and lo and behold, there was plenty, right on the ground! Other tire tracks suggested someone else had been there, so maybe they dropped some.
Or maybe the extreme temperature changes over the weekend, along with some brisk wind, broke it loose. Some even had berries.
So once again
my kissing ball is full of mistletoe, and hung in a doorway to catch the unsuspecting. It's these little things that make the season for me--
the memories, and the traditions we keep alive.
Stop by, and maybe you'll get lucky and get a kiss!
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Comments are moderated so may not appear immediately, but be assured that I read and enjoy each and every word you write, and will post them as quickly as possible.