Angels and Laundry

"The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung." - Phillips Brooks

Jacob is home.  It is finally Christmas.  We picked him up from Guelph this morning along with Courtney and a huge bag of laundry.  Though I invited Courtney to bring her laundry too, she is saving it to take home to Collingwood on Wednesday after she writes her last exam.  Court is just here for a few days.  I will drive her back to Guelph on Wednesday morning ensuring we have sufficient time to get her to her 11:30 exam.  Later that day her dad will pick her up and take her home.  In the time between Wednesday and the return trip to school in January, Jacob will spend a few days in Collingwood with Court's family and she will come to Toronto and spend a few days with us.  

I had the star out, waiting for Jacob to put it on the top of the tree when he got home.  I've been looking for something else to use as a tree topper for several years but in spite of my search I haven't been able to find something else that works better.  The star is pretty but it's badly constructed and always a bit lopsided on the tree.  I don't know who designed it but it's in serious need of a rethink.  In spite of Jacob's best efforts, he couldn't find a way to make the star work on the top of this year's tree without getting the pruning shears out and giving the tree a redesign so I told him not to bother.  He positioned the lights at the top of the tree and helped me drape the crystalline ribbon.  The tree looked fine but it was nagging at me that there wasn't a proper ornament for the top.

A while after we finished and I was cleaning up, I glanced at a stained glass angel that has been hanging in my living room since we moved here.  The angel was a gift from my friend Janice who is now an angel herself.  It is a stylized piece in white and royal blue.  I started to wonder if there was some way to place Janice's angel at the top of the tree.  I gave the task of figuring it out to Jacob.  It took him less than five minutes to secure the stained glass angel to new heights.

I love both the look and the idea of that particular angel topping the Christmas tree.  I often think of my friend Janice.  I like to think she is watching over us from the heavens.  Somehow, seeing that angel makes me feel sure of it.