It’s not unheard of for a busy family to stuff a hastily hewn Christmas tree through the front door within a few days of Christmas.
On the other hand, it should be noted that there …
Stay informed about your community and support local independent journalism.
Subscribe to The River Reporter today. click here
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
It’s not unheard of for a busy family to stuff a hastily hewn Christmas tree through the front door within a few days of Christmas.
On the other hand, it should be noted that there is no shame in last-minute decking of the halls, so to speak. If the tree is up by Christmas Eve, deadlines have been met and Christmas presents have a place to go once wrapped inside the closet at 2 a.m.
Not to brag, but somehow we actually got a tree in the house over a week in advance this year and it’s got to be a good sign of the coming year. Are the lights up on the front of the house? No—but we’re farmers, for goodness sake. We’ve got water to chop and chickens to feed; we don’t have time for extraneous lighting!
That being said, I’m curious to try insulating winter crops with Christmas lights. I’ve heard of folks using them to give a little more light and a little warmth under row covers for winter-sown plants in a greenhouse.
I digress. Trees!
Yes, we valiantly achieved the impossible and got our tree on time this year. How did we have such impeccable timing, you ask? Well, on our way to town we passed a lot where the good folks were selling tag-cut spruces for $20 a pop. Still in our church clothes, we pulled a U-ey and trudged through the yard to pick one out.
First one looked fine; second one was a bit small; and the third one was the charm. In a matter of minutes, we tossed it up on the roof and finagled the straps to make sure it wasn’t going anywhere.
Content with our Christmas quarry, we finished our errands and proceeded home, where the first order of business was of course the installation of the most important festive feature.
This will be our very first Christmas in our new home. I should say, the last place to which my wife and I ever plan to bring our Christmas trees home. Maybe that’s why getting the tree this year was such a lofty achievement. Finally being home, in our dream home, where we’ve been trying to be for years now, and the tree was like the topper on a cake. Or, to make a more apt metaphor, like the star that now sits atop our tree, decorated and beautiful in the corner of our living room.
My eldest son helped his mother unravel the garland and the lights and slowly wrap them around the pokey tree. My youngest joined in when it was time to hang ornaments, hanging nearly half of the plastic balls on a single branch before receiving a mix of instructions from his brother, who was hardly any better, and his mother, who just wanted to make sure that the breakable ornaments were placed out of reach.
As for me, I aided in the positioning of the tree and the preparation of the base, which involved watering and wrapping the cover around the stand. I also assumed the stately position of supervisor in order to best spectate the ensuing complications of toddlers working in tandem with their mother.
In the end, there was little to worry about other than the swinging of pillows by proud children near the completed tree. The dog also contributed, however, by letting us know that there were some ornaments that were placed too low. She did so by tenderly taking them in her mouth and bringing them to us on the couch, hoping for a game of fetch. I can’t really blame her for noticing the shiny balls, but regardless we raised a few out of her immediate reach.
The way out here, the most important thing about Christmas trees is that there is one. We didn’t have the time to go cut one this year, or spend a lot of money on one that might have been a little prettier or taller. But just like a lot of the work we do around the farm, it’s better to get it done than stand around thinking up something perfect that might never happen. Now if only I can wrap a few of those gifts before the night before…
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here