Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree 2024, Palisade, Colorado
Every year for the last 58 years, I have always had a real (live) Christmas tree. Growing up as a kid in a small town in the Midwest, I remember my dad and I going to buy our Christmas tree. Living in the city as an adult, it seemed like every corner on every block had a Christmas tree lot usually popping up around Thanksgiving.
Imagine my surprise when we moved to Palisade last year and there wasn’t a Christmas tree lot anywhere to be found! I had heard there was a place outside of town in the mountains, where you could cut down your own tree, but it was a lottery to do so. Cutting down a tree hasn’t always worked out for Andy and me. Our first year in Denver we visited a friend’s property in the mountains to cut down a tree, they invited us and who could resist a ‘free’ Christmas tree? That ‘free’ turned into a $1400 tree as we encountered black ice coming down the mountain! That was the last time we tried to cut down our own tree! Our realtor also shared that the Boy Scouts sold Christmas trees, but by the time we found their location they were solid out. So last year, Andy and I purchased our tree from City Market. Sadly, by Christmas the tree was dry as a matchstick!
Fast forward to Christmas 2024, and our hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. This time we researched the Boy Scout rumor earlier and discovered there were three troops selling trees, one of which was close by! We ventured out with high hopes and the Boy Scouts did not disappoint! We found a seven-foot tree, nicely shaped and reasonably priced. They could tell us exactly where the trees came from and when they were cut, this gives us an idea of the trees shelf life. In addition, they provided information on how to care for the tree including getting it in water within an hour and a half of taking it home; make sure the water is warm and; adding a cap full of Sprite to the water will help prolong its life. They also trimmed the bottom off the tree so that it could absorb the water better. In hindsight, this may explain why our City Market tree didn’t do so well, there was no one there to cut the end off and we were not chain saw savvy! The Boy Scouts also shared that the money from the sale of the trees goes to fund their summer activities! I liked this concept in that our money is going to a good cause and supporting youth and a respected organization. My second cousin was a Boy Scout, and I dropped the ball on several occasions in supporting him and his endeavors. Looking back, I regret this greatly so, supporting these kids now feels like the right thing to do. With the tree purchased and our instructions in hand, we headed home.
We have a method when it comes to decorating the tree. Andy starts with the lights and the angel. After the lights, the wooden cranberries and silver garland go on, this is followed by the ornaments. Christmas is my holiday for sure and I’ve been collecting decorations and ornaments for years. On top of that, we’ve been collecting ornaments for both girls. So, to say we have a lot of ornaments is an understatement! However, I decided this year not to overwhelm the tree with ornaments, because it is smaller than past trees. Instead, we focused on starting with our favorite ornaments, then moved onto a few select ornaments from the girls stash. I didn’t always pick the most expensive ornaments, but rather the ones that held the most memories. Sometimes more is not better… it’s just more!
Prior to decorating, I also changed the location of the tree. Last year we put it in the corner of the dining area and I felt disconnected from the tree. This year we’ve moved it into the living area between the kitchen and the TV; I like this location so much better as the tree is now a part of our daily activities and we are around it all the time. This might sound silly, but for a few weeks, the Christmas tree is a part of our family, around it we are reminded of past Christmas memories while making new ones. For the Christmas tree represents Christmas tradition, it is an important part of Christmas, the cherry on a Christmas Sunday if you will. Charlie Brown had it right when he insisted on getting a real tree!
Here is to having the most Merriest of Christmas, Peace on Earth and Good Will to All!
