O Tannenbaum!

Often times when my travels are far behind me, when I'm back in my doldrums, I think about what might be happening upon the paths I've trod. I think about who might be throwing coins into the Trevi Fountain, who is at the top of the Empire State Building and today, I'm wondering what Rothenburg, Germany looks like as advent approaches. Course, it's Christmas virtually all year round there with overstocked Kathe Wohlfahrt stores and powdered suger falling like snow in the schneeballen shops. December marks the height of Germany's Christmas markets, where wooden marionettes flirt with nutcracker men and where handcrafted, wooden pyramids wait for the heat of tiny candles to gently spin their helicopter toppers. There's something about handcraftmanship that makes Christmas more real; it's precisely the same difference between homemade stollen and Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin bread. I guess it's the love—the love that begets the creation of something very special solely for someone else. Hmmm. Smells like Christmas spirit.