The Mini Tree of Horrors
Last Christmas I was home alone in a neck brace with a bizarre 6 month case of severe laryngitis so I couldn’t speak. But I ate a whole box of my favorite cookies ever (see below) and a LOT of bacon…so that was a nice little party for one!
At the start of the year I went to LA to stay with my father, presumably for a couple of weeks to get my seriously deteriorating health in order. As the universe would have it, I was slated for unimaginable medical horrors in 2013 (many of which I’ve referred to in this blog)…and I’m still here in LA, very slowly but surely rebounding from what the doctors deemed “incurable.”
While my heart aches for the bygone days of constant holiday crafting, baking, decorating and spoiling the hell out of my love ones (and I will do all of the above again one day)… I can find immense joy and hope in the fact that I am still alive with a wonderful little family and group of supportive friends. I’ve had a few tiny miracles, indeed.
We always spend Christmas in New York, so we have no decorations in this apartment. I’m not quite recovered enough to get out or have visitors yet, so it will just be my father and me this Christmas. But I was determined to do something special, so we got a cozy little table top tree. The mad influx of medical bills inspired me to decorate it for under $5.
I chose to make a tribute to the countless days my dad and I spent watching old sci-fi and horror together throughout my life. We still do it, and it is something I treasure immeasurably.
How many familiar faces can you spot?
Thank you all for reading this blog, and for your support this year. I miss my family and friends terribly. Although I can’t participate in festivities yet, it is a special year because I still…exist (how MAGICAL!)! I wish you all an amazing holiday season.
Cannot type/talk due to severe illness (all words courtesy of voice software or kind typing helpers)…I read and appreciate all comments…Apologies for not being able to respond.
SheWalksSoftly 
December 25, 2013 at 4:02 pm
Hi Dana.
Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope that you have a wonderful 2014 with improved health and crafting-abilities. Thank you for all the lovely posts throughout the year, you have shared some amazing things and brightened my days considerably.
Much love,
Lene
December 25, 2013 at 4:21 pm
That’s pretty much want I wanted to say, too – let’s hope ’14 is going to improve on things and thank you so much for your blog! Here, have another creepy Christmas picture – source: my own tree and deer skull.
December 25, 2013 at 5:34 pm
Love you Dana! Looking forwards to seeing you at home & well enough to craft again! And all my best to your dad, please tell him Merry Christmas for me!
December 25, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Lots of Christmas good wishes to you and your family Dana!
I remember around this time last year, you were hoping 2013 would be kinder than 2012. That really struck a cord, because I was hoping the same. Sadly we were both disappointed.
My problems haven’t been nearly as bad as yours, but by turns they’ve been disruptive, upsetting, expensive – and just downright depressing. So thank you for giving me something good (um, in a spooky, gruesome way, of course) to look forward to each day!
May 2014 get its act together for all of us who’ve been left bruised and battered by ’13!
As for your amazing Tree of Horrors: No fair! I’m on my phone, so the images are too small for me to play along properly. I can definitely spy Lugosi and Karloff in there though – and after all, what ToH would be complete without them…? 😉
-Nx
December 25, 2013 at 9:44 pm
Love and miss you, Dana. What a wonderful Christmas tree. We make the best of missing our loved ones. XOXO.
December 25, 2013 at 11:40 pm
BACON !!! Had lots of that, too, and perhaps way too many slices of cherry stollen. Let’s see, I can spot at least fifteen monster portraits. POTO is chilling, I empathize him, and Dracula’s expression looks like, “All deze twinkly bright dings are freaking my eyez out.” And I have feeling the pics are conversing when no one’s looking. Robby the robot, nice touch.
All kidding aside you did awesome. It warms my monster heart knowing your body and spirit found some peace today. You are a gift. Merry Christmas. 99
December 26, 2013 at 12:28 am
Those cookies look incredible! Fantastic tree, too. I’m glad you’re having some creative fun on Christmas and I hope next year is significantly more polite than this one has been!
December 26, 2013 at 12:50 am
Thanks so much everyone. So much love to you all. ❤
December 31, 2013 at 12:20 am
Such a beautiful tree sweetie! LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! OXOXOXO