Final Post

Calandreya - aka Robin Payton - has passed away.

At 4:36am on July 5th, she lost a battle with a septic infection.  Her heart, weak already, wasn't up to the task of fighting it off.  Hospital staff did their best, too.  I was in the room with her when she parted.

Even though she hasn't written here for many years, I wanted you to know that Robin loved her family, and I (her husband) know that she considered many of her followers family.  She adopted everybody, and I may never know the extent of the lives she touched.

I'm currently compiling a book of all her poetry, and a book of her other written memories.  When these are complete, I'll post a link to them here.  Apart from that, this will be the final entry on this blog.

Thank you all for the joy you brought to her life.

John Payton
aka Peregrin

Quill #124 - Two Haiku (4/9/2013)

Frogs croak in chorus
Livening the pond's night life,
Old men singing loud.

Thorn plucked from paw,
Mighty lion brought low -
Abcess tooth removed.

Quill #123 - Salmon, Ella

Some friends of ours recently invited us over for dinner. They served each of us a perfectly seasoned and cooked piece of salmon as the entree, a feat that, even then, I knew was pretty spectacular. As each morsel crossed my palate, I promised myself to try this at home, not because I thought I could do better, but because salmon is healthy and good and deserves a greater role in my kitchen.

I have caught, gutted, and cooked many fish in my day. At one point, our family survived mostly on fresh-caught trout because we had a pair of fishing licenses, poles, and not much else. I knew that cooking the salmon well would be the main difficulty, as I hadn't previously prepared salmon, but planned on careful attention to detail.  Armed with the knowledge that farm-raised was preferable to wild-caught these days, a recipe from Pinterest, and a burning desire to treat my family, I sallied forth to the local Hy-Vee.

(borrowed from google images)

Hy-Vee was the ideal store to purchase fresh fish.  I knew this because of the fine array of salmon they had behind their glass counter. This establishment had three versions of wild-caught, four versions of farm-raised, some that were long sides from the original fish, and some pre-portioned sections for those lazy shoppers who couldn't be bothered to use a knife. Their prices ranged from $9.99 a pound to $15.99, depending on which salmon you selected.  I chose a mid-range Scottish fish for $12.99 a pound and pointed it out to the butcher, asking for two to three pounds, as I was uncertain how much I needed by weight. It is not possible to smell through the glass case which means you really need to trust your source.  I have, heretofore, maintained a good relationship with Hy-Vee and doubted them not.



(borrowed from Google images)



The ancient mariner wearing a smudged white apron smiled and introduced himself, asking me to repeat my instructions, which I did. After a few shouted exchanges, he kindly decided not to kill my family, no matter how he felt about me. I say this because, after choosing my fish, I noticed that the gentleman removed the top filet from the pile to pick out a longer section underneath. He even gave me a second chance to redeem myself by pointing out a batch of less expensive, American salmon, and I turned it down, only to notice, once he was wrapping my Scottish brand, that the portion he had removed was turning green and irridescent.  I don't think salmon is supposed to be that color.

A day later, when I unwrapped the thing at home, I counted myself lucky again. The odor was strong, but not spoiled, and the pink flesh had a mostly healthy appearance. I then attempted to cut our fish into six reasonably equal portions. Perhaps I had a blunt knife; perhaps the fish had an exceptionally tough skin. Whatever the case, I managed to get four mangled sections from our two and a half pounds of fish. That effort would have to do because, by that time, I was truly sick from the smell, touch, and slime of fish.

Our marinade might have worked if I'd been able to get the portions I wanted. Instead, after washing the fish very well, we put the pieces into a bowl of mostly water, let it soak for two hours, and pulled it out of the fridge for cooking. My husband, bless him, took over the job at that point. I was ill from the reek throughout the entire house. He managed a miracle and cooked the half pound salmon steaks to perfect doneness, crediting his careful watching of popular chef competitions on TV for success in the matter. The finished product, in spite of the issues I had with it, did not stink after cooking. Its taste was mild and pleasant, even retaining some flavor from the diluted marinade, and we enjoyed every bite.

However, if there ever is a next time for salmon and me, I will choose the pre-portioned sizes, perhaps even pre-cooked.  I do not remember having this much trouble with fresh trout.

Quill #122 - Mortal (June, 2011)

I watch myself dying, toe by toe.
I wiggle and wiggle.
Every day it takes longer
To get feeling back.

I watch myself dying, nerve by nerve.
The tingles and pains,
Each week, move further.
At least I feel them.

I watch myself dying, wheeze by wheeze.
Pain by pain, step by step,
Minute by minute,
Chill by chill, bite by bite.

But, in the moments between,
When a squirrel peeks at me from
Behind a bole in its tree,
Or a child smiles at me shyly,

Friends laugh together,
The sun shines through clouds,
In these moments the world
Grants me joy, reprieve,

Happiness and the gifts
All humans are given.
Life is terminal.
For now, I'm still here.

Quill #121 - Spring Vocal Concert at UNL

I can't say I was disappointed. The performances excelled. But, this was a quiet pleasure, not the rousing joy of the holiday festivities. Chamber music is beautiful in small doses. An entire roster of spiritual bliss put my darling spouse to sleep, quite literally.

At one point, the stage was filled to brimming with singers, but the sound only reached half hall. There were two soloists who did nothing else but their solos. They were both very good and will probably have opera careers ahead of them. The male had excellent vocal control. He could fill the house with sound better than the entire chorus. I only heard, maybe, two notes which might have been more loud than controlled.

The female soloist looked like she didn't want to be there. She smiled when applauded, but sat stoic and bored the rest of the concert. The fellow at least had the grace to follow along with his music. She sat like a beautiful statue until it was her time to sing. And then, you knew why she'd been chosen. She could sing so softly that you weren't quite certain she was still singing, but perfectly.

Not a rousing performance. Not one where you walk out feeling buoyed by the spirit. But, an excellent piece of work, nonetheless. I would like to hear the volume that such a choir could produce. If the highs were higher and the lows lower, there might be more interest in a requiem.

We were proud of our daughter's participation in the entire concert and felt fortunate that she didn't faint from the heat, as she did a few concerts ago.

Quill #120 - Please vote

My son has entered the Neil Gaiman contest to win a voice part in the full cast recording of "American Gods." He needs to be in the top 20 to win, and we need everyone's help. Please log on and vote every day until May 2nd.

Quill #119 - Welcome, Eleanor!

I can already tell you're amazing. Welcome to the family!

Quill #118 - Tradition (1980)

I remember those big family reunions at Grandma's house when everyone stayed overnight.
I would wake up to the familiar chatter of women's voices and the smell of bacon frying on the stove.
Still sleepy, I would go out to the kitchen where their love would surround and claim me.
I was one of the eldest children and it made me feel grown-up when they accepted me.

The men were almost always in the garage, tinkering, showing off, laughing and talking in those deep, resonant voices.
Sometimes they played football in the backyard, all the men and all the boys, except Grandpa and my dad.
Grandpa was too old, and Dad said he didn't care much for football, so the two of them would sit and talk and watch the game until the ladies called the men in to supper.

In the evenings they all played cards.
Sometimes I got to play, but usually the children played their own games, occasionally complaining about the unfairness of being children.
On special occasions, we would all go into the back room, and Grandma would play her ancient piano.
The keys weren't all quite tuned, but their odd tinkling sound only made the old songs seem even older.

Eventually we would trickle away, back to our own homes, just as the time trickled away much more quickly than anyone thought it would.
Grandma's house is gone now, but in my heart it is still there, comforting, and sometimes, when I wake up in the morning, I can still hear her working.
And I know that when I dreamed I was there once again.

(These pictures are not the ones I wanted and may be replaced when I find the right ones.)

Quill #117 - Experiments (Feb 13, 2011)

Three sets of round eyes,
Forty sets of almond-shaped,
We sit in an unfamiliar restaurant
Surrounded by regulars, locals.

Two of the napkins held chopsticks.
We have one fork,
One spoon,
And an adventurous daughter who will try eating with sticks.

If not for the hair in my salad,
I would have returned.
But, I was lucky.

-----

Korean chef rants
At haiku-writing patron -
"Am not Japanese!"

Quill #116 - True Love

Over the course of thirty years together, Peregrin and I have come across occasional female friends who, for whatever reason, don't care as much for me and think he's the bee's knees. Inevitably, we have a conversation initiated by them about how Peregrin and I met. This topic can come up in innocent discussions, too. But, with certain women, the underlying message is that Peregrin is too good for me, why is he with me, why does he stay with me, and other questions that might explain how this wonderful man became my husband and then actually stayed with me for a lifetime. These women see Peregrin as he is now, after ten, twenty or thirty years of hard work together; they see what a gem he is now, and they want one just like him - or him.

To these women, I say, "Tough!" Nobody gets to thirty without effort. And nobody stays together for thirty years without reason. We met when we were eighteen years old, married at nineteen. Do you honestly think either of us was much more than potential at that point? We got here together, supporting each other through thick and thin, crying together in hard times and celebrating the bad with the good. And, trust me, there were a lot of difficulties in that space of time that required both of us to grow and cope and learn to laugh. You can't take that away. You can't find it in someone else's life. You can't fake that kind of bond, borrow it, or steal it. There are reasons why he and I trust each other and it has a lot to do with what we've survived as a couple. I wasn't the me you know now, back then, and neither was he. If you want him, you'll have to wait till I'm gone and then work YOUR butt off to be worthy of him.

In each other's care, we discovered science fiction and our own fantasies, raised two and a half children, played games together, survived death and depression, kissed on stage, moved twenty times, suffered through illnesses and despair, learned each other's foibles, traveled alone to faraway lands and returned to inviting arms. We've been poor together and wealthy with love. To quote The Princess Bride: "You can't harm me. [Peregrin] and I are joined by the bonds of true love. And you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds. And you cannot break that, not with a thousand swords."

Quill #115 - the Workshop

45 students, 7 teachers, 3 librarians, 3 assistants and 25 classes later, we can say it was mostly successful.

Prediction

You can change the world for better or worse but,
in a thousand years,
little girls will still be dreaming of princes
and little boys will still be dreaming of frogs.

Quill #114 - Inscription on a Stone (1982)

From the days when skies were blue,
So many eons gone,
From the time of mortal man,
When man did still belong,
And from Earth before the Quake,
And yet, before the end,
We bring a message to your world,
The last that we may send.

The five of us, from colonies,
Spread across the Way,
Have come to tell Humanity
That all is not astray.
For though the ancient civilized
Exist no longer now,
They left with us a ray of hope
Which we, to you, endow.

It is a Child, a single Child,
Born of the Human race,
To give you joy and youthfulness
In a world so filled with age.
For at a time when life is death,
The lights of Heaven gray,
This Child will guide you through the night,
Unto a brighter day.

A beacon skyward is our sign
To pass the Babe to you,
Sing out unto your dying land
The praise of life anew.
Tell all others of the hope,
A life with which to grow.
Take care, remember what we say.
Fare well, for then we go.

(public domain image)

Quill #113 - holiday pictures 2010

The Grinch didn't steal our holidays.

Quill #112 - Merry Christmas!

Mom's Christmas cookies were the highlight of every winter holiday. In this picture, I had just been in my school pageant, accounting for the bad makeup and odd dress. My brothers and I posed for a rare photo together, snapped by Mom.

Quill #111 - Cocoa & Carols

Our daughter was a performer in her university's choral recital this year, a family yuletide holiday festival. This recital was, without a doubt, the most uplifting and enjoyable holiday sing-fest I've ever attended. She was only a small part of the activities, but the performances were so strong that I would gladly have given four standing ovations rather than the one permitted at the end of the concert.

Both my children are vocalists and I've been to a lot of concerts, some where my extremely talented kids were featured, a few where my son was almost the lead vocalist in the entire performance. Therefore, do not take it lightly when I say that this show was amazing. If you get a chance to attend a University of Nebraska performance this year, please do.

Quill #110 - Young Adult Reading List

A few years ago, having had many impromptu discussions with readers where we tried to remember favorite books, Peregrin and I decided to put a short list on a business card that we could carry around and give out, as needed. The list is actually much longer than we can fit on the front and back of one business card and keeps expanding as we continue to read. However, Tress from Jumble Mash recently asked for book suggestions. Here is the list we compiled, back then:

• Susan Cooper's Dark Is Rising series.
• Zilpha Keatley Snyder, almost any.
• William Farley's The Black Stallion series.
• Edward Eager, almost any.
• C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.
• Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong set.
• Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell.
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Elizabeth George Speare.
• Ursula K. Le Guin's Catwings.
• Green Knowe series by Lucy M. Boston.
• Piers Anthony's Xanth series.
• Scott Corbett, almost any.
• Tom McGowan's Sir MacHinery.
• Jack Williams's Danny Dunn series.
• Steven Brust's Jhereg series.
• Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.
• William Goldman's The Princess Bride.
• Spider Robinsons's Callahan series.
• Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker series, Enchantment, & Ender's Game series.
• Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted.
• Barnes & Niven's Dream Park series.
• Robert Asprin's Myth Adventures series and Thieves World series.
• P. L. Travers's Mary Poppins series.
• J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan series.
• Tom Clancy's Net Force series.
• The Dragonlance Chronicles.
• J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series.
• Roger Zelazny's Amber series.
• Natalie Babbitt's Search for Delicious.
• Hitchcock's Three Investigators series.
• The Ultimate Bike Path, Mike Sirota.
• Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series.
• Catswold Portal, Shirley Rousseau Murphy
• Mercedes Lackey, several sets.
• Marion Zimmer Bradley, several.
• Douglas Adams's Hitchhikers series.
• B. Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

These are books we consider older classics, things we've read and greatly enjoyed, and things we read to our children and encouraged them to read. In most cases, we read the first of the series to them and let them decide whether to take things further with that author. We tried to give them some variety but, obviously, the list is heavily influenced by our preference for fantasy and science fiction. We could have chosen as many again without even trying. These were the essentials.

(Some of the books we gave out for Halloween this year, along with other treats)

Quill #109 - A Spookier Kid Comes Along!

This little guy turns three years old in January and is already reading with comprehension, knows numbers to a hundred, knows colors, reads and interprets street signs and signals, jumps, stands on one leg or the other, skips, stands 40-41 inches tall, and runs his parents ragged every day.

The Spooky Kid Part Two! (pictured with Spooky, the original)

Quill #108 - Love is Kinda Crazy With a Spooky Little Kid

While stationed at Fort Huachuca, my husband got his first computer, a gift from my parents. They spent $40 on a little machine that had about 40 kilobytes of memory and only understood Basic. Peregrin spent a couple of years trying to program that calculator to do anything before we finally got a better one.

He would sit on the floor and mutter the commands as he typed them. Our son, about two years old at the time, sat beside his daddy, watching, fascinated. We didn't think much of it till Spooky - who earned that nickname by doing things like this - corrected one of Peregrin's programming mistakes, and was right.

Even with these hints, even knowing we had a little whippersnapper on our hands, we didn't really take such events seriously. We didn't know what to expect from our first child and accepted everything as reasonably normal.

About two years later, when Spooky had just turned four, my mom took the three of us shopping at a Sears store. We were walking down the aisles in the household goods department when Mom turned to me and asked, "You do know Spooky can read, don't you?" I refuted her statement outright and she turned stubborn.

"I'll prove it, " she said, and took down one of the boxes of laundry soap to show to him. He promptly stated the name of the soap brand and a couple other words from the front of the box. Again, I refused to believe it. I said, "He's quoting from ads he's seen on TV." (Not that perfect ad quotation wouldn't be worthy of note, itself.)

She turned the box to its side panel and showed Spooky the list of ingredients in the soap. He started sounding out the words, "Phosphorus, sulfates, bleach, ...," etc. He read the entire side panel. I was stunned and still unsure that it wasn't some kind of trick. We had read to him quite a bit but he hadn't ever read back to us.

When we went home, Mom pulled out a pocket New Testament from her luggage and gave it to him, asking him to read it to us and prove this wasn't a fluke. He did! He began reading every word, almost perfectly. When he finished a few pages, I asked him if he knew what those words meant and he explained to me what he had just read. This was a child who had maybe been in church ten times in his four years of life, certainly not often enough to memorize bits, and none of his attendances in church had happened since the age of eighteen months!

I will say he probably needed every brain cell he got in order to survive his clueless parents. We expected a lot from the little guy and yet he almost always delivered. I hope he has at least a few happy memories from childhood. He sure gave us a lot of good times.

(family photos picturing Spooky, Kyrie, and nephew)

Quill #107 - Lean Years - 100+ Ornaments for the Tree

I understand there are people who cannot afford holiday trees. That's going to be a blog, too, probably. I've done without, made do, pinched pennies, and been thrifty for so many years that I don't always know what's poor, anymore, and what might just be creative. For those who are lucky enough to own a tree, or be able to get one, make one, find a substitute, etc., here are ideas for ornaments if you can't go out and buy a tree's worth from the store:

1. Candy canes (inexpensive and space-filling).
2. Ribbons & bows.
3. Small toys from your child's toybox, such as small cars, fast food meal treats, small dolls, anything tiny that you can put on a string, attack a hook to, or sit on the tree.
4. Cookie cutters (Hang them on strings or ribbons).
5. Popcorn garlands. (Make a bowl of plain popcorn and poke through puffs with needle and thread, attach thread lengths to make a longer garland.) This one is suitable for outside trees, too.
6. Candy garlands. (Using thin cord, tie around both ends of wrapped candy for one style, or only one end of the candy for a hanging style. Lollipops can be set on branches or hung from string, or tied into garlands.)
7. Cranberry beaded garlands. (These are beautiful. Use needle and strong thread to stitch through the center of each raw cranberry. Can space with raisins, for a different look, but the garlands won't last quite as long.)
8. Home-made hard or salt dough shapes. (There are many recipes online and in magazines at this time of year.)
9. Colored thread spools. (String into batches of three, or make spool people, or thread them on wires in wreath shapes.)
10. Old-fashioned bobbins. (Not the little ones for sewing today, but the big long spools of yesteryear. Hang them from ribbons or make a tree-topper out of one that still has thread.)
11. Paper umbrellas.
12. Plastic or paper mache fruit.
13. Paper scrolls of poems.
14. Scraps of holiday sheet music.
15. Old holiday cards, cut into discs. (Use something circular as a guide, mark around the best part of the card, cut within the line, punch a hole and hang with string or ribbon. Or, use plastic lids as your guide, then glue the card into the center of the lid for a windowbox look.)
16. Twizzlers or ropey licorice garlands.
17. Ribbon angels. (Again, there are how-to instructions online, but you basically make a bow for wings, a cone of ribbon for the skirt, and attach these to some sort of "body" and/or "head" with thread or hot glue. Paper bodies work, as do wooden, toilet paper rolls, and almost anything you want to experiment with.)
18. Tiny treat bags filled with goodies and tissue paper. (The Dollar Tree often sells three to five tiny gift bags for a dollar, which would leave it up to you how much you want to spend on filling them. But, you could also use little natural-cloth teabags, tulle circles, wedding favor boxes, or anything small that holds the goodies you want to give.)
19. Paper cones, filled. (Like the bags, make sure some tissue or tinsel is showing at the top of the cone/bag, and put a little something inside.)
20. Small nutcrackers.
21. School supplies - pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, sharpeners, glue sticks, etc. (Attach with string or ribbon.)
22. Paper vouchers, rolled up for surprises. (I give vouchers for my game, every year, to those who say they enjoy playing it. But, you could use any game. If you play Monopoly with your children, give a voucher for extra starting money, or a Get Out of Jail Free card, or choice of which token to use while playing. Come up with a voucher for an extra story at bedtime, or letting the child choose their favorite meal, or anything you think they'd like. Write it on a small piece of paper, roll the paper into a scroll, tie with a small ribbon or rubber band, and hang it on the tree. One of the best rituals of coming years will be discovering what's on the vouchers. My kids ASK for this, every year.)
23. Flowers, any kind, any size, silk or live, whatever you've got. Baby's breath is a great addition to almost any tree, if that's what you've got.
24. Lightweight plastic snowglobes. (Attach with ribbons, but don't use glass globes!)
25. Key limes, kumquats, and other fresh citrus. (String them individually with needle and thread, or tie a ribbon around larger fruits and hang them. The limes and kumquats make a decent garland, though a little heavy for small trees. If you have whole cloves, poke those into oranges in patterns and hang with ribbons or thin cord. These will go bad quickly, sometimes. Be prepared to throw away anything that's turning brown or getting old.)
26. Cheerios or other circular cereals. (Last year, I made only edible ornaments for my grandson's holiday visit. These circles were among his favorites once he figured out he could eat everything on the tree. String them into single-strand ornaments or garlands, or shape them into tight groupings for wreaths.)
27. Fruit by the foot garlands. (These get hard, like ribbon candy, after they dry out. Once you're happy with where they're placed, leave them till clean-up.)
28. Individually wrapped dried fruits, such as prunes, little boxes of raisins, and apricots. (Hang with strings or thin cord.)
29. Tiny paper messages. (Like the poems and vouchers, only perhaps you'd want scriptures on each one, or a verse of Taoist philosophy, or advice to a loved one. Anything you'd like to share with your guests - even wishes for the coming year, or pictures from catalogs of things you would like to have someday.)
30. Miniature baskets of goodies. (You can get little bamboo baskets, or crochet baskets, or make them out of paper like the ones for May Day, and fill them with the kinds of things that don't easily fit elsewhere, like nuts or jelly beans. If you're worried about having them fall out, wrap the goodies with plastic wrap or netting inside the baskets.)
31. Miniature books. (String a ribbon around the center and hang.)
32. Pet toys.
33. Fans. (paper, lace, bamboo, whatever you've got or can make)
34. Photographs. (Framed or not. If not framed, tape a piece of string to the back for hanging. If framed, use cord or ribbon to attach to the frame through the hanging bar on back. Little ones work best, so as not to overweight the tree. If you want to print photos, you can frame them with circular plastic lids, like the holiday cards idea.)
35. Fabric swatches. (Take a length of pretty or colorful fabric and roll it into a long garland, drape on the tree. If you only have short lengths, hang squares or fans of fabric. No fabric stash - cut up a holey piece of clothing into long strips.)
36. Tulle fabric ribbons or garlands. (For garlands, roll the fabric like above. For ribbons, cut into lengths an inch or two wide, string together with fancy bows, and drape around the tree. Or, just make little bows of tulle. I mention this one separately because it's so versatile and looks so good, plus it comes in a lot of colors and is very inexpensive to buy.)
37. Rag braided garlands. (Take inch or two wide lengths of fabric and braid them like you would for a rag rug, tie off the ends and use the braid for a garland instead of a rug.)
38. Hair bobs, such as packages of bands, hair bows, barettes, bobby pins packages, hair clips, brushes & combs, or whatever you want to give.
39. Felt cut-outs. (Use cookie cutters for shapes, or magazine pictures of holiday shapes, draw around them on felt, cut out and hang with hooks. Or, buy pre-packaged bundles of pre-cut shapes.)
40. Foam cut-outs.
41. Jewelry and charms. (String necklaces together for a sparkly garland. Hang bracelets like wreaths. Charms and earrings make little glittery ornaments. Use whatever you have that you aren't planning to wear for a while.)
42. 45 rpm records. (Hang them on a larger tree. If you don't want or care about the records, you can hot-glue several together to make a wreath. Or, use a larger 33&1/3 rpm record and hot glue items onto it, using the record as the base of the wreath.)
43. Plastic or foil wrapped cookies.
44. Leaves in fall colors, especially red and green.
45. Shoelace garlands, especially if you have colorful shoelaces.
46. Scarf garlands. (Use like fabric swatches.)
47. Belt garlands.
48. Strands of beads for garlands or hanging ornaments.
49. Colored artwork or print-outs, framed like the holiday cards.
50. Musical instruments.
51. Small figurines, such as plastic animals or soldiers, ceramic owls, or whatever you've got that pleases you or fits your tree theme.
52. Lego creations. (Make figures, toys or ornament shapes with the blocks, then hang.)
53. Herbs and spices, dried or fresh, bundled and placed on branches or hung with ribbon.
54. Dead electronics, such as no-longer-working cell phones, pagers, small answering machines, and small game systems. (If you've got the money, hide your new one amongst the old ones for a surprise gift. Or, if you want to be mean, wrap all the old ones, give first, followed by the new gift.)
55. Potpourri pomanders made from circles of tulle and potpourri.
56. Sample-sized anything, such as shampoos, deodorants, hand lotions, bar soaps, and other goodies, especially if you have a college student home for the holidays.
57. Wire stars. (Cut short lengths and use pliers to shape into stars. Hang with ribbons.)
58. Plastic straw art.
59. Woven straw art.
60. Macrame ornaments.
61. Macaroni garlands, colored or not.
62. Sports pennants, cloth or paper.
63. Bad CDs, strung on ribbons.
64. Baby stockings and booties, along with other goodies like pacifiers, real or candy.
65. Sewing notions, such as needle packets, spools of thread, stitch markers, seam rippers, garlands of measuring tape, etc.
66. Doll clothing on toy hangers, old or new ones for gifts.
67. Tablecloth tree skirt. (Take an old round plastic tablecloth and cut to the center, then cut out a small circle in the middle, wrap around the base of the tree.)
68. Fabric swatch tree skirt. (Use any length of fabric that's long enough to circle around the tree and hide the base.)
69. Numbered containers for Advent treats. (Use bags, baskets, whatever, marked with numbers, fill as desired, then let the kids open one each day. If you have many children, add their names to the containers.)
70. Feathers.
71. Old watches, timepieces, gears, and other mechanical goodies.
72. Female glitz, such as polish bottles, nail files, tweezers, eyebrow curlers, makeup compacts, small jewelry and makeup pouches, clippers, ornamental hair combs, etc.
73. Itty-bitty stuffed plushies.
74. Kitchen aids, such as measuring spoons, whisks, spatulas, tinned spices, salt and pepper shakers, etc.
75. Napkin rings.
76. Origami figures and foldings.
77. Crocheted or knitted mini stockings, or store-bought mini stockings.
78. Needlework and fibre creations, if you're talented that way.
79. Banners. (Felt cut-outs attached to tiny dowel rods - maybe even toothpick-sized - and hung by cord or ribbons attached to each end of the dowels.)
80. Postcards, travel brochures, maps, and other pictures of faraway places.
81. Playing cards.
82. Tarot cards.
83. Cocktail picks.
84. Wine charms.
85. Empty matchboxes, matchbooks, and collectible small tins.
86. Birdseed treats, especially nice for outdoor trees.
87. Bird feeders made from single-use sized plastic drink bottles, especially good for outdoor trees.
88. Electronic tealights.
89. Dead 8-track tapes and cassette tapes. (Hang them, and maybe use a dead reel-to-reel spool for garland tape.)
90. Beader's delight, such as small beading tools, small containers of beads, beading trays, beading thread and needles.
91. Gardener's delight, such as seed packets, spades, plant food, etc. Nothing poisonous, please.
92. Pet lover's delight, such as cat treats, small cat toys, leashes as garlands, etc.
93. Buttons. (Strands for garlands, either side-by-side or tightly packed lengths, and thread into drop ornaments or wreaths.)
94. Snack-sized bags of chips and goodies, along with candy bars and other pre-packaged edibles, even tins of Altoids and small candies.
95. Tea lover's delight, such as individually wrapped teas, cloth teabags, small tins of loose teas, tea balls, child-sized tea sets, etc.
96. Small office supplies.
97. Coffees and coffee supplies.
98. Knitting or crocheting supplies.
99. Pocket-sized tools.
100. Energy drinks, small cans and boxes of fruit juices, and little plastic bottles of drinks.
101. Paper dolls.
102. Butterflies and faeries.
103. Use your imagination!

Also, don't forget to give your tree a theme. Go with an all-candy or goodies tree, or match the tree to the colors of its surroundings (such as all black & white, or burgandy & gray, etc.). Make your tree a portal to Toyland, or a women-only tree. Go traveling by hanging postcards, but don't forget to add toy planes or cars or boats. If you have a family member in the military, use toy soldiers or airmen and toy medals, ribbons of red, white and blue. Want a steampunk tree, go with gears, watches, and model air balloons. Whatever your theme is, be creative. Nobody has to go without decorations.

(images from Dover and Lolcats)