Anyone else enjoying this stretch of warm weather that we are having? It’s this kind of winter weather that is the reason many of us live in Florida. It does make a fire in the fireplace and a hot cup of cocoa seem a little out of place, but it also means that every day is a fine day to get out in the garden. And even though it is warm, I still enjoy my morning coffee by the cheerful glow of our Christmas tree and as always, I love to think back on past Christmas seasons. One story that I’ve shared with you before is one of my favorites. I call it the Tale of the White Dumpies.

Every family has holiday traditions. Some are good, some make you cringe, but even the goofy ones make you look back with a smile. In my family, we had a slightly different Christmas tree tradition than most. At some point in December, it would be tree day. But we didn’t head to a Christmas tree farm or unpack a box from the attic. Nope. On the patio area of our backyard, we kept a (living) Southern Red Cedar in a whiskey barrel and on tree day, we got out a rusty old furniture dolly, somehow hefted the ceiling-height tree onto the dolly and rolled it into the house. It was a pretty tree, although not as perfectly shaped as a Douglas Fir or Blue Spruce. Once in the house, it was time to decorate and that’s where the tradition turned goofy.

One year, the cedar was in bloom when we moved it inside. The blooms are inconspicuous and just look like little white balls. I’m not sure if it was me or my sister that named them, but somehow we landed on White Dumpies as the name for these growths on the tree. And that led to fits of laughter and probably not enough paying attention to the decorating task at hand. We used the same tree for a number of years and although it didn’t always have white dumpies, just the word kept us rolling on the ground with laughter. Even now, nearly 30 years later, we still smile and laugh when we recall that old Christmas tree and its white dumpies. Its branches may not have been quite strong enough for all of our ornaments, but it was still our special tree and will always live in our memories as a fun Christmas tradition.

This year, I hope that you make some amazing Christmas memories with your family and friends. Even better if they are the kind of memories that will have you rolling on the floor with laughter 30 years from now.