The Indoor Display of '11

Finding and setting up a Christmas tree was another weekend project. Find one we did, at a Lutherian church lot at some distance from our house. It's a balsam fir, about six feet high -- a shade shorter than usual, since that was cheaper, and I always have to trim a few inches off anyway to crown the thing with the golden plastic star.

So far, I haven't got a decent picture of the whole thing. But Ann took a couple of closeups. One is of a electric multicolor star-shaped ornament that I refuse to put on the top because the golden plastic star goes there, since it's exactly like the star on the top of the trees of my youth, except not silvery. This year, the electric multicolor star-shaped ornament is near the base of the tree.

Ann also set up a gang of Christmas characters at the base of the tree.

Be of good cheer, they seem to say, or else. Santa's got some muscle with him in the form of that Christmas bear. Sure, he's smiling. He enjoys his main job, which is keeping the elves in line.