Sunday, December 16, 2007

Christmouse Tree

My Grandma Kathleen always had a couple Christmas trees, but I only ever cared about this one, the mouse tree.



When I was a kid, every year my parents and I (mostly my parents) would give her a mouse-themed ornament, and up on the mouse tree it went. Finding these ornaments became a little more difficult after Hallmark stopped its annual mouse-ornament series sometime in the mid-90s, but thankfully ornaments featuring adorable rodents didn't go out of style, and some gift store would always deliver.

Mouse ornaments often fall into one of two categories.

1. Mouse has shenanigans with delicious food:



2. Mouse uses human items for strange purposes; said items appear comically large:



I inherited the tree and all its ornaments after my grandma died in August 2006. They were in her attic in a box with a Post-it that said "For Katie" on it. My parents still try to get me a new ornament for it every year, but it's become increasingly hard. Last year the best my dad could find was a mouse holding a giant (comparatively, anyway) key that said, "New Home 2006," a sentiment that had no relevance to our lives. That's OK, though. The tree's running out of room, and I like the old ones.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

This post makes me want to cry a little bit (in a good way).

Unknown said...

Also, look! He is wearing pajamas.

http://cgi.ebay.com/MOUSE-IN-PAJAMAS-CHRISTMAS-Ornament-Ceramic-VINTAGE_W0QQitemZ140188801455QQihZ004QQcategoryZ33844QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Kate said...

Whoa, that mouse-nament looks truly vintage and fragile! Mine are all, like, plastic and from the '80s. I don't know if that mouse could hang. He might get beat up by the pizza-eating mice.

DAMN said...

The one playing the matchstick piano looks like a GERBIL!

B said...

I have NEVER gotten to the cone portion of my ice-cream and found a mouse waiting for me with a spoon-let alone a mouse with a red choker!

Kate said...

Mechuahua, I won't tell him you said that! It will crush his mousely pride.

DAMN said...

Kate: I've never been sensitive to mice feelings.