Treasures on the Tree - Cobwebs AND Chats on the Porch

I met my 'soul sister' quite a few years ago. It was uncanny, but the first day I met her I had a feeling that she and I would be very good friends. That turned out to be true. Then... she moved away. Gosh darn... isn't it awful when someone has to move because they need to get a job to earn money?! We try to visit each other once a year, taking turns going through the hassle of air travel.

Several years ago it was my turn to visit. My friend lives in Michigan and she decided that we would go off for a girl's weekend to Frankenmuth, MI. Frankenmuth is called Michigan's "Little Bavaria". It's an enclave of German ancestry that shaped their town to encourage tourism when the Interstate diverted traffic years ago. Now the town is known for quaint German shops, the largest Christmas shop and chicken dinners. We had a wonderful weekend. We talked... and talked... and talked some more. We shopped a bit. We somehow missed the famous chicken dinners, though!
While we were in town we visited Bronner's Christmas shop. Because I spent so much on lovely Christmas goodies I was given this cobweb ornament as a gift. 

Of course, there is a story behind cobwebs on the tree. In fact, there are slightly different versions of the legend, but basically a poor woman (wife, mother) is preparing for Christmas. She doesn't have money for decorations, so, during the night a spider makes a web covering the tree. In the early morning the web is turned to silver and gold. The tree sparkled and shimmered and was even more beautiful than before. That's why we have tinsel on our trees and why every tree should have a Christmas spider amongst it's branches.

Every year, when I pull out my spider web ornament, I am reminded of the fun my friend and I had while visiting each other. Our lives are bound together in many ways with invisible ties, just like a spider web... and, this too, is better than a stink bug!

I bet you have an ornament that brings to mind good memories, too.


Despite the cold weather, Patrice at Everyday Rurality is continuing her Farmhouse Porch chats. I enjoy chatting with others, so will bundle up and join everyone on the porch. Do visit her site to see other answers to the questions... and especially Wendell's thoughts.

1. Where is your favorite place to think, reflect, or pray?

I do a lot of thinking while doing mundane tasks; cleaning the paddocks, driving on long trips, cooking, etc. If I get the chance, I also enjoy sitting in a secluded spot 'out there' - on our property in NC, overlooking a small stream, on a rock outcropping perched high about the ground, on a bench in the woods, for example.

2. Did you believe in Santa as a kid?

I'm supposed to remember that far back?! Yeah... Santa brought stockings filled with all kinds of goodies. I probably realized who really filled the stocking when I was 7 or 8.

3. What's your favorite kind of Christmas cookie? You can add a recipe if you have time.

I love them all - but rarely bake any. If I bake them, I eat them and my weight is always an issue.

4. Did you grow up around any of your grandparents?

I saw my maternal grandmother about once a year, but she lived about 400 miles away. My paternal grandfather and his step wife lived about an hour away. We enjoyed holiday meals with them. My maternal grandmother lived across the country, but I was able to visit for a month at a time almost every summer. Since she lived on a ranch, it was heavenly!

5. What's your favorite winter sport-skiing, skating,sledding, other(?) 

My parents gave my siblings and me skis for Christmas when I was 9. The plan was that we would ski on the hills around the house. My dad originally thought skiing was 'stupid' - but he caught the bug a few months later, came home with equipment for my mom and for himself, and we skied just about every weekend when there was snow to be found, from that time until I graduated from high school. In the beginning, Dad would stay up until the 11:00 news on Friday, and then again on Saturday, to hear the ski reports from areas within driving distance (2-5 hours away). He'd wake us up at the appropriate time so that we could be in the lift line, ready to ski, as the tows opened. After a few years of this exhausting schedule, my parents rented rooms in a home near SnowRidge at Turin, NY. This was about a 3-hour trip from our home. We would drive up Friday evening, ski all weekend, and return Sunday after the lifts closed. I still enjoy skiing and usually get on the mountain only a few times each winter since hubby is not a skier and I don't have anyone to ski with.