There was a time when cutting down the Christmas Tree was the highlight of the holiday season...

Every year (after Thanksgiving or my birthday, whichever came last) I would look forward to driving out to the 'ole tree farm, trudging across miles of fields full of trees searching for that perfect tree. There were so many choices, short and fat, tall and lean, long-needled, short-needled, trees with 'holes' in them that could be turned to the corner and hidden under ornaments...

Yes, cutting down the real tree and carrying it, regardless of the cold, the pine needles that worked their way under your coat and shirt collar, and coating your hands in pine sap...Yes, this was Christmas!

Then approx 5 years ago, our tree died.

What you say? The trees will die anyway? That is what happens when you cut them off from the support system of their roots?

Ok. I accept that fact. The tree was supposed to die.


and...IT.DID.

One week before Christmas the tree gave up the ghost and all of its needles.

EVERY.SINGLE.NEEDLE.

So on the last trash pick-up day before Christmas, ours was the only house that had a dead, brown, needless tree at the curb waiting for pickup and a new, dead, green, plastic tree up and decorated (and I got it 1/2 priced too!!)

So this year I wormed into the crawlspace and hauled the Christmas Tree upstairs for assembly.








Yes, we are officially in Christmas mode here at the Playground!!