#5: the flock of flocked birds

the first christmas dad and i were married, we didn't have much money. i was paying off college loans, he was just out of the service, the apartment we were in was pretty pricey, and we were still trying to work out the details of two meager salaries and joint expenses. hence the generic christmas tree in a previous post. it was mainly adorned with a package of red glass balls and another of gold. but there were a few "special" ornaments - like four of these flocked red birds. they too came from the 5&10, the '70s equivalent of today's dollar store. even though i thought they were beautiful and festive then, i realize how cheap they look now, thirty-six years later. but they're tradition and, as i hang them, a reminder of times that were hard but were still awfully happy.