Too Damned BIG!
Our Tree of Memories
We purchased our first artificial tree when our local "cut your own" tree farmers retired. This was around 24 yrs ago. Our first fake tree was six feet tall and long needled. We prefer a short needled tree, but it was all there was back then. 15 yrs ago I spotted my dream tree in the window of a local hardware store. The next day, I showed it to L, who immediately fell in love with it. That tree was 7.5 ft tall, short needled, and beautifully bushy.
I've always loved big, bushy, Christmas trees. My Dad and I used to fight about this EVERY year, when I was growing up. Our house had a narrow living room. I would find the fattest tree in the lot, and my Dad would say: "That tree is too damned big! If we bought that tree, we wouldn't be able to sit on the couch." So my parents and I would haggle until we found a tree that sort of satisfied me, AND would allow walking room between the tree and the couch.
The first time my Dad saw our "dream tree" proudly displayed in our living room, he said: "You finally got what you wanted; a tree that's too damned big!"
Two yrs ago, our "dream tree" was on it's last legs. The plastic branch hangers were wearing thin, and the branch ends kept falling off. L, Z, and I made a trip to Menards and L immediately fell in love with HIS "dream tree". This tree is also 7.5 ft tall with 2200 tips. It's branches go all the way to the floor, so our presents have to be arranged AROUND the tree, rather than UNDER it. L should have got the hint when it took 3 stock boys to carry the box to our truck. After Christmas, we found that we couldn't lift the tree into the attic of our shed. We had to divide it into 2 boxes AND a zippered tree bag! It IS a gorgeous tree, though, and we all enjoy it's beauty.
posted by tshsmom @ 5:21 PM
24 comments
24 Comments:
A very beautiful tree! You know, it makes me feel like a scrooge - I have no decorations up (since my son is not here and I'm going home for holidays). It's even worse because there is no snow where I live. I didn't even wear a friggin jacket today. Something wrong with this picture. :-P At least I can live vicariously through you and your lovely tree. ;-)
Live away Notta!
I don't think I could handle Christmas without snow.
I should totally do a post about our family's tree from when I was young. Also a fake, it was a scotch pine my parents bought after they were married. Oh, the fun we had putting it together. After which my mom would declare that it just looked like a bunch of bottle brushes stuck to a broomstick.
Fake trees sure have come a long way.
It is majestic!
DO THAT, WC! Do you have pictures?
Thanks Monica; that's the perfect word for this tree! OR are you just sucking up because you tagged me? ;)
Put it up Bridg! It's amazing how peaceful the world becomes while sitting in the dark around a lit Christmas tree.
Great tree! Unfortunately, the Airdale broke our tree and cat boke all the glass globe ornaments, so we are tree free this year.
I love the dog turd ornaments, every family should have a unique holiday tradition! I also love lefse. And I congratulate you on your decision not to partake of cod soaked in lye till it becomes gelatenous goo. A substance that even smells less appetizing than it sounds!
Many years ago, I actually sought out Lutefisk after hearing Garrison Keillor talk about it on APHC. A family of ex-patriot Yoopers ran a bar in my hometown of Union Lake MI. I made a trip to the bar while visiting the folks for Christmas. I ordered it, took one look at it, asked for a to go container, and ate pasties instead. I took it home for my parents poodle, who took one sniff, looked at me like I had lost my mind, and walked off in a huff. My car smelled for two weeks.
It is said that Norwegians eat lutefisk as punishment for all the bad deads they have done over the year. I believe this must be true. I also find it hard to believe that ANYONE could have been that bad.
Crap. No pics. I predate the digital camera, you might be surprised to know!!
I might be able to dig some up and see if my brother can scan them. I'll make a point of doing that today.
GWB, I must be either bad deed free or horribly guilt ridden, as I refuse to eat that stuff!
We have a lutefisk dinner, every year, where I work. People have actually CRIED if we run out! It's really quite tasteless, but lutefisk lovers say it's all in what you put on it. If I'm gonna put butter or cream sauce on something, it's gonna have a better consistency than lutefisk!
That would make a great Christmas project for you guys, WC. Reminiscing is one of the best parts of Christmas!
My Grandma had a silver aluminum tree like that. Over the years we all tried to buy her a better looking tree, but she LOVED her bottle brushes.
That's awesome and a compelling argument for fake vs. real.
We can also have it up longer Sadie. ;)
It appears that nothing is done by halves in your household, our tree is is 6ft 3inn with the angel on the peak.
This is something for you to be proud of Tshsmon; it refers to your Norske ancestry, too long to describe here, best go to Google and click on to 'Trafalgar Square Cristmas Tree'. Great reading. I believe it lights up today.
It is a gorgeous tree. Artificial means never having to clean up needles.
I just Googled the Trafalgar Square tree. Very cool! No WONDER this reminded you of me Vest.
They also use energy efficient bulbs and recycle the tree after 12th Night.
OH my gosh, now that you've read my lastest post you can get some kind of idea what my dad is like. Well, we had the same fake tree from when I was a child until I was 21 years old. The darn colors on the branches were all worn off so it took us hours to figure out which holes the branches were supposed to go in. That darn tree looked more sad than Charlie Brown's when it met its demise. I believe my father and I were arguing about a friend of a friend who had gotten into trouble in NYC. He got so mad at my position in our argument that he through the entire tree out in the garbage and said we weren't celebrating that year. That was a bummer. Of course, we got a perfectly shaped new tree the next day, and Christmas hasn't been the same since. I kinda liked spending and entire weekend trying to figure out how to put that old tree together!
"You finally got what you wanted; a tree that's too damned big!"
Heh, although I don't know what your father looks like, I could still picture the whole scene. That's too funny.
Nice tree. Ours is tiny and fake, and we like it that way because our living room isn't that big.
bhakti, your relationship with your Dad sounds a LOT like mine. Dad and I are too much alike, personality-wise. We fought like cats and dogs when I lived there, but nobody else had better bash our family! THEN we put up a united front that couldn't be beat.
ZS, don't be surprised if Jr. gets a HUGE tree when he gets his own house. ;)
WOW!!!! not only is the tree very impressive, look at the loot surrounding it. Hey....ummm.errr...how exactly does one become a "close family friend?" I will post pics of my first ever fake tree (followed rule #2 by the way) when I can find some batteries for my cam.
Davey
Too late Davey, I already adopted you! You're such a sweetie and the kind of man I hope our son grows up to be.
Stick by those rules and you'll NEVER go wrong! L is good on #2, but he still has problems with #1.;)
My dad always complained about big trees, and my mother always wanted bigger and bigger trees. Maybe it's a fundamental difference between the sexes?
tshsmom: alas, no pics of the bottle brushes stuck to a broomstick. I'll try to do a post anyways.
You may be right ZF. Trees are one of the few things that women believe that "bigger is better". ;)
After your "poop post", I'm surprised that you didn't comment on our dog turds.
WC, maybe your Mom got custody of the tree pics in the divorce?
Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year!
Gee, I must've missed the dog turds.
tshsmom: Possibly my mom does have some pics. But it's too late to send them, and she doesn't like going through them anyways.
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