Notes from a musician's journal.(Marking Time)(Excerpt)

Every year at our house there is the issue of the Christmas tree. Ideally, I want one. I love the tradition of really decking the halls. I love sitting in the dark with only the twinkling lights to keep me company. I love the smell of the greenery and the way Christmas trees give color and spirit to normal rooms and routines. But in spite of all this, we have rarely had a tree. For many years, we lived in tiny city apartments. If there was no room in the Inn, there was certainly no room in our miniscule living quarters. Several years ago, however, we bought our first home. We finally had space for Christmas and all its trimmings, but then we went and adopted two kittens ...