Today the Maypole clan headed north to brave the wilds and find the perfect vegetation to hold our holiday lights and treasured ornaments.
We climbed into ye olde minivan and drove about a mile before pulling into the lot of the depot of the home. We glanced over the rows of bundled trees. We spied a tree that appeared to be appx 8 feet in height. Bravely, the orange clad woman assisting us cut the string and shook the tree so that it's branches would fall down and behold, it was a perfect specimen, with nary a bald spot to be seen. The May Queen and I exchanged a high five and thus the deal was sealed (well, that and a swipe of the credit card).
After tying our treasure to the roof (and a brief stop at the store to pick up a last minute present for a birthday party tomorrow) we returned to our domicile and placed the enormous tree in a stand in our living room. It nearly touches the ceiling. It is straight as can be and clearly the best tree we've purchased perhaps ever. All done within about 10 minutes at the Home Depot.
hail the conquering heros
Whew.
We're letting it relax a bit and will decorate it on Saturday. I love getting out all the old ornaments and remembering who gave them to us or when they were made. It was a great tradition in my house growing up, with Christmas carols on the stereo. It's one of my favorite Christmas "tasks."
I just hope it won't lose all of its needles within the week. Which seems possible, as the rest of it has gone far too well.
gratuitous elf shot
16 comments:
Greg and I used to cut our own tree down at a farm before we had kids. It seemed so Christmasy to hike out through the fields with my manly husband carrying a giant hatchet, in search of the perfect tree. Until the year when we just couldn't find what we wanted, and kept hiking farther and farther, forgetting that we would have to haul that sucker the WHOLE way back.
Now I take my tree out of the box and assemble it. But the carols on the stereo are the same.
We used to go to a tree farm but the last few years we picked a tree up at a hardware store. A lot less "romantic" but the trees looked just as good. Ah well. ;)
Please come visit us in the wild west some day. We dutifully buy a permit from the Forest Service every year ($5), and then venture into the WOODS to cut down our Christmas tree. (Usually with a couple other families complete with kids and many dogs in tow.)
Which are always lopsided and weird. But the adventure makes it perfect.
Merry Christmas!
This was such a fun creative post-- "the depot of the home". Your creativity is showing again dear. :-)
(that's one gorgeous tree)
We actually have a couple of fake trees, but this year I have a hankering for a cut tree. A very specific white pine, fatter than it is tall, with wispy long needles. I think I have even found the tree farm we'll get it from. Fingers crossed, we'll be going out this weekend.
I recall one year when I was a child, my father was traveling on business so my mother bought a pre-cut tree. It was one of the hardiest we'd ever had. Hope yours will be too.
I think I'll be strolling the HD for a tree this year, too.
We go out to my uncle's farm and cut down a tree and by "we" I mean "my husband". I stay inside and gossip with my aunt. Hauling a big tree through the snow is NOT as romantic as it sounds, really.
Very cute elf you've got there!
We also went tree hunting at the HD - but our tree is pre-lit and fake! It replaced our old fake tree because we decided it was too much of a pain to string lights! Ah Christmas in a fast paced culture...
I too love fondling all the ornaments as they come out of the boxes.
What a beautiful lil elf she is!
I have been to the farms. Do you know how hard it is to actually saw through a tree trunk? It is ridiculously hard. This is particularly true when you have dry skin, a runny nose, and ill fitting gloves.
Your way is best. Just look at those smiles!
We have the annual fluffing of the tree as it comes out of the box. Very romantic, especially when it's 80 degress outside.
Great gratuitous elf shot! We don't really do the tree thing - just throw ornaments up where we can. We're so darned lazy!
Yay! We get our tree today . . . I can hardly wait!
Ah, yes, finding the perfect tree makes Christmas!
Beautiful tree. And that elf of yours is growing much to fast. ENOUGH ELF!
Hope the trimming was fun!
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