O' Christmas Tree

After the flurry of Thanksgiving activity, I find myself unable to do anything more than sit on the couch or sit at the computer. Friday, I went to Martin's Nursery here in town to pick out a Christmas tree. I don't have a truck, so we have to fold down the back seat, shove the tree in as far as it will go and tie the trunk down. I have done this for about the last four years. So, the girls and I pick out the perfect tree load it up and head home. Sissy and I lugged the tree into the house by ourselves and put it in the stand, also by ourselves.
















Thus, the annual family tree decorating ceremony commenced.














































Surprisingly, the girls are EXTREMELY sentimental about helping decorate the tree. If I DARED to pick out or decorate the tree without them, they would try me for mutiny and make me walk the plank. One of the traditions I created several years ago, is to buy an ornament for each member of the family. I try to pick out something that reminds me of them or something that reminds of something about them. Sissy is really into the Christmas spirit this year. I think it's because she officially gets her car at Christmas.

















Anyway, after the tree was all decorated, I decided a trip to the store for milk and cookies was in order. I went out to start Sissy's car and noticed that we had left the trunk open. When I went to close it, it wouldn't snap shut. When I had taken the tree out, I had cut the twine with scissors, leaving the knot still attached to the latch of the trunk. I couldn't find the flashlight so I got out my cell phone and found a lighter. First I tried to burn the twine off the latch. I would also like to point out that it was thirty something degrees while all this was going on. The twine wouldn't burn off. I went back into the house and got a pair of scissors. Now I have my cell phone in one hand (for the light) a pair of scissors in the other and I am trying to cut this small, melted piece of twine off the latch so the trunk would close. WE REALLY wanted those milk and cookies. I stood outside for about 15 minutes trying get the twine off. Finally, I was suggested to me that I use the clicker to hit the trunk button. Maybe the latch was already in the locked position. Sure enough that's what the problem was. So off we went for milk and cookies.

Prior to us decorating the tree, we tested all the lights to make sure they were still working. They were. When we got back from the store, the topmost set of lights had gone out on the tree. Great. Now I have to take everything off the tree, and start all over again. I was not impressed.
I get so excited for Christmas every year. Yet I always forget what pain in the butt tangled up lights are. Tangled hooks too. And lights that don't work. And villages that burn down on Thanksgiving Day. And trunks that wont close. And pine needles all over my floor. And missing ornaments.

My sister also experienced some light issues. I suggested that she test hers before we put them on the tree and sure enough, about half her lights didn't work. We got her light issues handled, and I still hadn't fixed my tree yet. I went back home and started taking the lights off the tree and guess what happened. The freakin' lights started working again. They have been working ever since then. Thank goodness I didn't take all the decorations off the tree. I was too lazy for that. I decided that we could get the lights off without taking the decorations off. If I had taken all the decorations off the tree and then the lights started working, I probably would have pitched the whole tree out the back door. And then burned it. Along with my village.

I have also developed a strange illness recently. Every time a camera comes near me, my eyes start to blink. I can't help myself. Hence the squinty eyed look that will now be seen in all my pictures. I am hoping this is only a temporary illness, brought on by too much picture taking over the holidays.