perhaps a new tradition

For the third or fourth year in a row (getting old is heck on the memory, people) I went over to fTM Karen's house to help decorate their Christmas tree.
This year, though, there was a new twist.
As we were finishing hanging the last ornaments, Karen pulled out some plain clear and frosted glass balls along with paint and glitter pens

and suggested that i make an ornament of my own for their tree.
She figured that i might want something of mine on the tree.
...sniffle... isn't that the sweetest thing you ever heard?
After dinner i got to work on the Niki ornament and asked if anyone else was going to make one, so Karen and her MIL Nancy joined in the painting fun.

Karen went traditional with her name, date and holly leaves. Nancy did multicolored swirls to capitalize on being able to see through the ball to the designs on the other side. Mine has free-form gold lines with red and glitter spots running around it and a striped cap.

As we found spots for them on the tree Karen said I think we should do this every year.
I heartily agree.