Flash and Glitter

I have the ornament support device constructed in my living room. A lot of people prefer using a real tree that has been outside for years and years collecting bugs and dirt. A tree that converted dirt, water, and sunshine into a sticky substance that is now capable of oozing out of the trunk and branches.
I prefer a metal and plastic replica that stores from year to year in my basement. As much as I would like a white, pink or purple variation, I have to admit that it would not stand the test of time. Time-worn purple looks tacky while time-worn green looks normal.
The branches are in place, although not necessarily in the right places because what I found out the second year that I assembled it, those colored bands on the 'trunk' are supposed to coordinate with the colored bands on the 'branches.' Too bad I didn't know that sooner. I do the best I can to place them smaller to larger, top to bottom, but I always manage to have a couple left over.
But not a problem because I have lots of ornaments to fill in the empty spaces. Empty spaces that I would like to point out, occur all the time in even the most carefully groomed live tree.
The strings of lights are problematic because after circling them round and round the tree, chafing my hands and fingertips while trying to force those old plastic clips over the branches at regular intervals, I invariably find that I have applied them with the plug in end at the top where my electric outlets aren't.
For now, the tree is assembled, the lights are strung, and finally plugged in. I have many boxes of ornaments which I will have to hang and rehang at least twice because I lack the talent of restraint. I will probably throw away some of the balls that have lost their glitter and the home made creations from former years. They will be replaced with newer, shinier, sparklier, and brighter colored new ornaments that I will hang too many of.
For anybody that thinks that there is such a thing as tasteful Christmas decorations, I would like to point out, “Get a grip! You have a tree in your living room.”
Nancy Sherer