It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without....

It wouldn't be Christmas without a tree.

So, yesterday, Sweetie and I went down to the local golf course where the YMCA was selling live trees as a fundraiser.  

I've never had a live tree before due to my allergies (they have better drugs now).  Sweetie and I were slightly limited in the sense that whatever tree we got, it had to fit in the Fit.  So, we went for one about 5 feet tall.  And we fit it into the car with no trouble.

Then we got home and retrieved Sweetie's German tree holder.  And we proceded to put the tree into the holder, except that the trunk was too wide for the holder.  Lovely.  

Sweetie luckilly noticed that if we just sawed off one of the knobby things sticking out of the trunk, we could probably slide it into the holder. So, he ventured next door and got a hand saw from the neighbor.  And he sawed off two knobby things.  And then it fit.  Hooray.

I boiled some sugar water, as that is what the lady at the golf course told us.  And we filled the basin.  Ta da.

It wouldn't be Christmas without lights on the tree

I dragged out my various dregs of Christmas lights and at some point yesterday evening gave up finding a set that actually worked properly.  

This morning, I resumed the tree light production.  And Sweetie commented that I was "all happy putting up the tree lights."  I stopped in my tracks and said, "If you knew my family and had known my dad, you would know that putting up tree lights is NEVER a happy occasion."  

Indeed, as we were growing up, there were the various stages of the tree light production.  Stage One probably ran until we were about 7.  That's when Mom and Dad cooperated in the tree lighting/decorating venture.  Then Stage Two ran from about age 8 until age 16.  That's when Mom left the house during the tree lighting/decorating venture.   Thereafter, I think everyone except for Dad left the house for the tree lighting/decorating venture.  Dad, may he rest in peace, had VERY specific ideas about how the tree lighting/tinsel placing production had to be implemented.  And unfortunately, the rest of us did not always follow his vision (it wasn't insubordination -- just a lack of attention to detail on our part).

So, I was not exactly "happily" lighting the tree.

It also wouldn't be Christmas without....

This evening, after I painstakingly arranged our new bow on top of the tree and painstakingly placed assorted new bulb ornaments on the tree, Sweetie admired my work.  Then he made some comment that the tree "seems to be leaning."  And "we better keep an eye on it."

With Sweetie at the table grading papers, and me at the computer doing some Christmas browsing, suddenly there was a mighty "WHOOSH!" sound from the corner of the living room.  "No way!" I thought, as I turned.  And sure enough, the tree was no longer standing.  

So, we both raced over as Sweetie sat at the base of the tree declaring, "I knew it!!!" and "&*%$^%&!"  I meanwhile got behind it and pulled it up with my brute strength.  Of course, at that point I'm pretty sure the gallons of water in the holder had already been deposited onto the carpet.  It was also at that point that I realized maybe it would be wise to unplug the lights, given that I was sitting in a pool of water.

(Of course, as I am writing this, I keep glancing back to make sure it's still standing).

Anyway, the tree is back up, this time sitting on a marble cutting board and surrounded by forest green towels....