Homemade Decorations

I had the best intentions. Our homely cedar tree, cut from the bank of our own pond would wear popcorn chains and cranberry necklaces, in addition to the personal decorations we have grown to love.

So we got a bag of cranberries from the local store. And a bag of popping corn. I started with the berries, which I intended to string while Hale watched the Texans lose to the Raiders.

Fairly quickly, I learned two things: first, these cranberries had been around awhile. They were getting old and soft. Second, my needle was too big.

I had bought an assortment of needles, and some black thread, which I thought would be invisible on the tree. The large needle I began with, however, was so much wider than the thread that the holes leaked. Just a little, but still. You don’t want cranberry juice all over your tree, no matter how homely it may be.

I changed needles. I even managed to thread the tiny thing on the third try.

After an hour and a half of less than galvanizing football I had eighteen inches of strung berries, and I quit.

I hope to do better with the popcorn.