O Tannenbaum

As I was watering, decorating, ooohing and aaaawing, and generally primping over my beautiful Christmas tree this weekend (and wondering how long it will take the cats to destroy it), I thought about all the Christmas trees I've welcomed into my home over the years. Sorry, folks. We're about to take a trip down memory lane and you'll just have to get over it, or stop reading right now and either check your facebook account or pour yourself a drink, or both.

Anyhoo, my very first Christmas as an adult I remember well (don't worry, I'm getting to the tree part of the story eventually), because my then-boyfriend worked at night guarding a Christmas tree lot, so he could buy me an engagement ring. Isn't that just so sweet? This was back when the dinasours roamed the earth and people didn't have cell phones. They had regular, plug-it-in-to-the-wall type phones (quaintly referred to as "land lines" now). Well, because we were just so much in love, we spent the majority of each night, all night, talking to each other on the phone while he was supposed to be "guarding" these trees. So, just so you get the visual here, the trees are outside and he's inside this trailer with the heater cranked up. I remember one conversation we had went something like this: Him: "Hold on. I hear something." Me: "Be careful!" Him: "I'm not going outside. Hell, no. It's too cold out there and I can see the guys stealing the trees. They are about twice my size!". So much for hiring someone to "guard" the trees. We did get engaged that Christmas Eve, and my ring was very simple, and very lovely.

The first actual tree I remember buying as an adult cost me all of $5.00. We were very broke and waited until Christmas Eve to buy our tree, when most of the lots would practically give the trees away. We truly had a "Charlie Brown" tree that year, for a whopping $5.00, but we excitedly hauled it home to our little apartment and decorated it. It was a real beauty!

Large and majestic, or small and sweet, all trees are great to me. The fact that you get to bring one into your home for a little while just sweetens the deal.