Peace, goodwill are always the right size

On Christmas morning, I made a short happy trip down the hill at

about 8 a.m. All was calm. All was bright. I had the road to myself.

I was taking a platter of homemade cookies and candies to the crew of

L.A. County Engine Company No. 19 to say “thanks a lot” for being

there when I needed help.

As usual, they were on duty. Knowing they are always there gives

me real peace of mind.

On my way to the firehouse, I passed a deserted Christmas tree

lot. The day before, it had been ablaze with lights and alive with

music. Now the unsold trees stood there like wallflowers at a dance.

No one had taken them home for the holidays. I wanted to sing “The

Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot.” It was sad. I hoped that the

fellow who had all those leftovers had made enough to cover the cost

of the trees, freight, licenses, electric lights and lot rental. He

had put in lots of hours. I had to hope it had been worth it to him.

This year, we had an imitation tree for the first time. We had cut

our own tree every year until this one, but it got to be more work

than we wanted to do, so we invested in a manmade piece. It was

really beautiful: 8 feet tall, beautifully shaped and full, and we

covered it with handmade ornaments. You had to touch it to realize

that it wasn’t a living tree.

With living trees priced the way they are, this plastic beauty

will have paid for itself after next year. And we have no worry about

it drying out and catching fire.

We put it up earlier than usual, lighted it more than usual and

will probably keep it up a little longer than we usually do. It’s so

beautiful that we hate to put it away. Pat’s mother liked her

Christmas tree so much that she used to threaten to keep it up until

Easter. I can understand how she felt.

When we do decide to store our tree, we’ll take the lights and

ornaments off, and then we’ll pull the top piece off and fold back

the limbs. When we have done that to the rest of the tree, we’ll put

the pieces back in the box and store them lovingly in the garage

until next year. While I realize that “only God can make a tree,” the

people who make the really good plastic ones make a pretty good

imitation.

As I put away the gifts I had received, I looked at the labels.

There wasn’t one made in the United States, except for the outdoor

thermometer given to me by a local equipment rental dealer.

Everything else came from Turkey, Mexico, India and China. We had

better stay happy with all these countries. We are depending on them

to provide us with all the things we used to make but no longer do.

It’s a shame, isn’t it?

One little gift I am really enjoying is a radio-controlled travel

clock. It remains correct to the second, every minute of the day. I

call up the telephone company time line once a month to check the

accuracy of my wristwatch. I usually have to make a slight

adjustment. I put the batteries in this new clock and went to the

kitchen to get a cup of coffee. When I returned, the date and time

were blinking happily. I called the telephone company and was tickled

to hear that my clock was correct to the second. The telephone

company must be using the same system.

Setting up the clock was so simple. I gave my wife a present that

came accompanied by a 2-inch-thick instruction manual. She says she

could probably pass the SAT with high scores with less study than

this gadget is going to take, but she was happy with the gift.

Actually, everyone in our family was happy with the gifts they

gave and those that they received. We aren’t too secretive about the

process. We all submit lists of things we would be happy to receive,

and the lists are circulated through the family. The gifts we receive

are the right size, the right color and the right models. There is

seldom anything that needs to be exchanged. We all live busy lives.

Our “wish lists” make the shopping a whole lot easier and less

time-consuming for everyone. After Christmas we file the lists in our

“wish box” for birthday gift ideas.

The Christmas stockings are something different. They are a big

thing in our family. Everything you pull out is a surprise -- things

that other family members had fun picking out for you and can’t wait

to see your reactions to. What a bunch of jokers!

When the clock struck 12 on New Year’s Eve, it found my wife and I

and our two cats sound asleep. We started the new year at peace with

the world and everyone in it. I hope all of you started the year just

that happily.

* JERRY LANE is a resident of La Crescenta and a regular

contributor to Community Forum. He can be reached at

jerry5733@aol.com.