Now, where did I put that?

I am getting forgetful. Not the normal age-related forgetfulness. I often ask where my glasses are, only to find them nestling on top of my head with my sunglasses. I walk into my walk-in closet at school, and I can't remember what I wanted until I walk out! I lose my keys all the time, and I even lost my husband's new car key. OUCH. I never did find his, but I find mine all the time in the oddest places. These things I can deal with.

I don't know if it is the cold weather that freezes and destroys more of my brain cells each year at this time, or if there is a grinch living in our house.

We had a very large, beautiful tree with beautiful glass ornaments for many years. The tree took up too much space, and taking it apart and reassembling it each year got to be a pain. Even using a magnifying glass didn't help me figure out which letter on each artificial branch was a "C" or a "G". So, we downsized, bought a used six foot tall but not half-the-room-wide tree. It was beautiful too, but taking it apart every year became a nuisance; the branches scratched my hands up. So we decided to remove the ornaments, cover the tree in a large plastic bag and store it upright in the basement after the holidays. We did that for three years.

Well, last Christmas, I went downstairs to get the tree, and it was gone. G-O-N-E. I searched the family room, the laundry room and hubby's work area. G-O-N-E. I called him, and by the end of our search we were accusing one another of playing a joke. We even called our adult kids. The tree became a bone of contention and we both quit talking about it. We were driving down the highway, when I saw a beautiful pine tree off to the side of the roadway. AHA! I remembered what had happened to that tree last Christmas. We were taking it downstairs, the bottom section dislodged and we'd said, "Enough!" We'd dismantled it and sent it to the trash heap in sections. When we remembered, we laughed out loud and pointed the finger at each other. We laughed about that incident into January.

Another Christmas, another issue. Last night as I lay on the couch gazing at the tree, I felt that old familiar stirring. "What is missing? What did I forget? Although we gave all of the fancy ornaments to a granddaughter who moved out, and we kept the sentimental ornaments for our brand new small table top tree, I KNOW I did not give her my thirty year old beloved, pain-in-the-butt-to-put-on-EACH-Christmas-light, bulb covers. They refract the light and increase the brilliance of each colored light. I love-love-love them.

I have searched the house over, twice! I did find some things I'd lost, like that Wise Man's noggin that got knocked off three years ago. Nothing like a headless wiseman to scare the heck out of a toddler. Now she'll be confused that he regrew his head.

But those bulb covers are G-O-N-E. If I go to my oldest granddaughter's house and see them on her tree, I will just smile and pretend I remember giving them to her. I have to go find my cell phone. Now, where did I put that?!