The Unlikely Christmas Ornament

I love Christmas ornaments and have been collecting them for years. The newest addition to my tree, added this season, has a prime location.

You might be wondering WHAT is THAT?

It's a beautiful draftsman's tool; I added a tulle ribbon in order to convert it to a decoration. A little unusual, perhaps - I suspect I may be one of the few people with an ornament such as this!

Nonetheless, it has great sentimental value because it belonged to my father. Trained as a landscape architect, my dad went on to become a well respected civil engineer who worked on many high-profile projects across the United States.

During the course of his career, his drafting tools got a real workout. One of his colleagues called the civil drawings Dad oversaw for O'Hare Airport "some of the finest I have ever seen."

My father died suddenly last December 9th; a few of his tools are now among my treasured mementos. Since he left us at Christmastime, it seemed only fitting to turn this one into an ornament for my tree, where it hangs front and center.