...we go live (as in, live tree!)

 

Every now and then, we have the debate:

Real tree? 

Plastic, pre-lit tree? 

Ok, I admit to a little bias there. For many people, artificial trees make sense. They are relatively easy to set up and don't require clean up or maintenance. They suit smaller spaces. But...

THEY DON'T SMELL GOOD.

That's one of my arguments; I want the crisp, clean smell of the tree in my home. Other arguments involve such things as supporting local farmers, better for the environment than plastic and metal, etc. 

But it's really all about the balsam or --in this year's entry-- Fraser fir. 

Yes, it'll be sappy. Yes, I will have to clean up needles, water it, and there are obvious gaps to fill with larger ornaments. But I have a beautiful seven foot real tree, purchased from local people who could use the influx of seasonal cash, and we got it set up, from purchase to put in the stand, in about 20 minutes. (Record time!)

Meg and Geoff did the lights, Holly helped, and I stayed out of the way. After this many years of marriage, we know what works better; there are some tasks that should not be shared ones. We have differing philosophies about lights on the tree, so I entrust the job to Meg-- she and Geoff work very well together (this includes painting rooms, too-- another task we should not share). I don't mind doing the support work: toddler-wrangling, getting this and that, and generally not butting in with advice. 

Today, after the general grocery-getting and errands, I will decorate with years of accumulated ornaments. It always takes a while-- the wandering down memory lane tends to add time to the task. I don't mind it, really. 

Next debate: tinsel or no tinsel. I favor little to no tinsel, and Geoff prefers gobs of it. I have not seen any in the stores, so maybe that will be the deciding factor. 

Either way, no matter what you prefer, I hope that your holiday season is calm and bright, and is punctuated by rational negotiation. (If needed!)

Keep warm (it's 9 degrees this morning!)--

C

Comments

  1. Scott M. RochetteDecember 10, 2022 at 1:29 PM

    I'm with Frank Costanza on this: I find tinsel distracting. He can keep the aluminum pole, however, in spite of its high strength-to-weight ratio.

    ReplyDelete

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