Angel on My Tree - 61 project

Christmas to me, means angels on my tree.

When I was a girl living in the Bronx, my Aunt Rose would take me into the city right before Christmas. It was a day long event and I got to sleep over the night before. Morning came and we caught the express bus from Riverdale into New York. I could see the decorated store windows from window seat and she would point out the landmarks on the way. The highlight was seeing  where she used to live, above her parents grocery store on Madison Avenue.

And then we would arrive at the grand and imposing Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first stop was the the Medieval exhibit with that breathtakingly enormous tree. No matter how many times I saw it, the effect was the same.  An Italian village was recreated under the tree with exquisite hand carved Neapolitan figures. But more important were the angels. Each more lovely than the next, they floated from the branches so high that it seemed they were miles above my head.

That elegant tree has inspired my Christmas decorating ever since. My tree pales in comparison, but when I look at it, I'm back at the Met with my Aunt Rose holding  my hand and my head tilted as far back as it could go.

Heres a link to that beautiful tree