Putting Up Our Tree

Putting Up Our Tree

So I asked him to bring in the tree.  He said which one.  I said the one that is in the best shape..and so it started.

Later that day he asked me to join him on the patio.  There were four boxes with trees inside, three standing askew, a couple in small pots with broken pieces.  Yes, it is Christmas.  The time to make merry and spread love all around.  Just not quite yet, I thought.

It was necessary to remove the boxed trees and set them up to see which one was the least ruined.  Which one had lights that worked.  That took quite a bit of time--outside time in the cold.  Eventually we decided which ones could come into the house.  The others--too bad shape to even give away.

Now, you need to understand that we do this every year.  We always say we are going to discard the worn out ones-the ones with lights that appear at the very bottom, maybe in the middle, but definitely not all over the tree.  Every year we do this dance.  This year would be different.  I made the decision to purchase a new one.  The dance would be happy and joyful.  The tree would go up.  All the lights would shine.  It would be lovely.

Off we went to find that perfect tree.  We did find it.  Bought it and brought it home.  He began to assemble it.  Since I was busy with other things, I didn't go into the room until he said it was ready to present itself for adoration.  I was not prepared for what I saw.  The tree completely overtook the end of the room.  And the top touched the ceiling and then turned itself down toward the floor--quite a bit of it did that bend.  I stood in awe.  Really?  All that work.  All the white snowy stuff all over the floor and furniture, and it was the wrong size.  How did that happen?

A phone call to the store-It was their mistake.  We could return it.  So it was loaded into our truck a day later and returned.  After quite awhile examining the choices, I decided nothing would work.  So I called him at home.  Put up the least awful one, please.  However, there was a problem.  Only about one fourth of the lights actually worked.  Since the tree was flocked, all the lights were flocked, too.  That meant no new lights would work.  They were not original to the tree.

He said he would take pliers and cut all the strands off the tree so we could put new ones on.  Now, that is quite the job.  The strands were wound around almost all the branches.  He spent hours removing all those lights.  Filled a garbage bag.  And while he was performing that surgery, I left to purchase new lights.

Have you seen the boxes and rows of light choices?  I was in shock.  What to purchase?  Which would work?  Which were wrong?  Eventually I made the decision and left with my arms loaded with lights.  He put them on the tree.  I walked into the room.  They were awful.  Absolutely awful.  Off they came.  He put them back into the boxes and out the door I went.  The return line was so long I gave up.  Instead, I went back to the rows and rows of lights and made a different decsion.  I purchased boxes and boxes of lights.  Surely one of these would work.

Back home he dutifully put the new lights on the tree.  Did I know that they were attached to green and white cords?  No, I didn't.  When I looked at the tree, I saw that we had both colors--green and white.  And I said they were perfect.  Thank you for all that hard work.  It will work.  It does make sense.  White cords for white trees and green for green.  We have both.  Proudly we have both.

The tree sat for several days with no decorations.  I could not bring myself to deal with it.  She kept beckoning me to make her pretty.  I resisted.  Putting up a tree had already been quite an ordeal.  Was it really necessary to have one?  I did make the decision to dress her.  She looks lovely at the end of the room.  However, we have already decided that she will not come into the house again.  This is her last year to shine in this house.  Somewhere in the back of my mind is the nagging thought that we will do this all over next year.

The good thing about all of this is we didn't quarrel once.  We did a lot of laughing and talking, but we didn't get stressed out about it.  It was a challenge.  It was nothing serious or life changing.  It was simply a tree.  I did consider a live one--or one that was alive at some point early last fall.  Then I remembered all the sharp needles that covered the floor around and under the last live one we brought into the house.

She doesn't know this is her last year.  We tell her how pretty she is and how much we are enjoying her.  We plug her in so she can shine for all who visit.  Oh no.  As I write this, I am almost convinced that she can return.....She is like an old friend who is a little worn but precious.  She is covered in memories.  She has character.

Who would have thought....