There’s a Christmas tradition in our house that I don’t love, but it happens every year whether I love it or not. Every year – every single year – we break an ornament. Sometimes we drop one when we are putting up the tree (or trees), and sometimes one falls to the floor when we are taking down the ornaments. But every year, we are guaranteed to lose one ornament during the season.
Some years it was more likely than others because some years we put up three (and once, four) trees. But even during 2020 (the PANDEMIC), when we only put up one little, pre-decorated tree, I managed to drop an ornament and it broke.
So, traditions continue, whether we like them or not. One year, it was a small glass ball. It was pretty but old and when it hit the hardwood floor, the little devil split into about six thousand small slivers. They got everywhere – in the rugs, in the tiny slits between floorboards, and – about six weeks later – into the bottom of my bare foot as I rushed downstairs in the morning. [So that morning, instead of going through my normal routine, I spent a couple of excruciating hours in urgent care. I was unable to get close enough to see it with my glasses and my arms were not long enough to extract it without my glasses, so off to urgent care I went. A nice doctor removed the oddly large and elusive glass splinter from my foot and I silently cursed the tradition of ornament breaking.]
The dropsies aren’t limited to Christmas décor, of course. We’ve noticed that while we don’t often drop things in the kitchen, when we do they are nearly always either (a) yogurt containers (which burst apart like firecrackers if a strong wind hits them, let alone a stone floor) or (b) a glass container. Most recently, it was my husband who dropped a nearly full jar of salsa. It hit the floor like a grenade and glass and salsa were all over the place. It looked like a small mammal had exploded in our kitchen.
But I had the worst dropsie episode of all last week. We were at a restaurant and decided to take a glass of wine (me) and beer (him) outside (don’t panic, our town has DORA) while we strolled around an event that was happening. I was waiting at the door with the plastic glass of wine in my left hand. My purse slipped down my right arm, making me instinctively raise my right hand to stop it from falling completely to the floor. In so doing, said right hand hit my left hand and sent the glass flying. Wine went everywhere – on the wall, on the floor, down my leg, and my left arm was drenched. (Naturally, I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt).
So, I had to be embarrassed, get a bunch of napkins, try to clean up the mess, and also try to blend in with the dripping wall all at the same time.
Fortunately, we don’t often drop things in our home, or out in public. But I am aware that Christmas is fast approaching (just over a hundred days away at this writing). Somewhere in my attic is an ornament that will not be around much longer.
As usual. a great post, and brought to clear mind my own problem with dropsies!
In my particular case, in often happens with my pill taking situation – morning or evening, I have the habit of popping them out of their containers and putting them on the counter –
which occasionally ( way too often) allows them to roll OFF onto the kitchen floor – which has some definite rolling areas and hiding places – not a real problem, except if it is one of my prescriptions ( expensive and limited) and not a stupid mineral or vitamin! I try hard to NOT let that happen, but I am old and feeble at times – so guess what – welcome to my world!