WHAT ?? NO BALLS ??!!?!

Today, I am dismantling my Christmas tree.  Removing the lights.  My very dear friend stopped here shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve.  She looked at the lighted tree from the front door.

"The tree is beautiful......" and she stopped herself from making another comment as she approached the tree.  "Where are the balls?" she asked, with a bit of that school teacher admonishment in her voice. Within a millisecond, we were laughing until our sides ached.

Who knew?  My tree was a metaphor for my life.  Her life, too.  Not all aspects, but certainly some.  Plenty of light but sometimes, no balls.

Here's my final photo of the Christmas tree of 2012.  Truth of the matter?  I am far more impressed with the bougainvillea off to the right.  I could see that one of them appeared to have buds that would soon blossom into those flowers that I love so much.  I never expected this.

I am stunned at how that plant is flowering......  Look:

In August when we were celebrating the ordinary, I was a bit wistful.

The photos from the summertime when these sat poolside are in the post I wrote on August 27.

I have no idea how or why this thing is flowering but it makes me smile.  And right now, damn if I can't use everything I can get my hands on to make me smile.