Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Fighting With The Christmas Tree

Well, I did fight with the tree, but we’ve made up and are now friends again.

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When the kids were growing up, every year we would go out to the local tree farm, ride the hayride which took us out into the field and we would cut down our own tree.

It was always so much fun.  But my hubby was the one that always had the huge task of bringing that tree into our house and making it compatible with our living room.  It was a lot of work.

We have high, 10 foot ceilings so we liked the tall ones but when surrounded by the big vast field filled with rows and rows of trees, pretty much every tree looked small.

Let’s just say, we were really bad at picking out trees. 

Every year, hubby would, without complaint, fight the tree out in the garage to get it to fit in the tree stand.  We even accumulated different size tree stands over the years, just to try to make his job a little easier because those tree trunks come in many different sizes.

Once the tree was brought into the house, the fight continued because inevitably the tree would have a crooked trunk.  With hubby under the tree and us girls standing across the room, we would instruct daddy which way to adjust that trunk in the stand to get it to look straight.  Adjusting an 8 foot tall tree was not an easy task.  Sometimes string was involved … tied from the tree to the curtain rod just to keep it from tipping over.

It came to a point in time that hubby said “I’m too old to be doing this”.  He wanted an artificial one. 

So about 5 years ago, he and I went out and purchased a beautiful artificial Christmas tree. 

Remember up there how I said “we were really bad at picking out trees”?   Well, that applies to artificial trees too because when we brought  the enormous box home (and that should have been a sign in itself because it took the two of us to carry that box into the house) unpacked and assembled it … it was splendid in it’s glorious beauty but it was just enormous.  We wanted it tall but we didn’t think to consider it’s “wing span”

The wing span on this tree was … hmm … I’d say at least 6 feet across.  E normous indeed.

So every year, for the past 5 years, we’ve fought with the artificial Christmas tree.  Getting it to fit in a big enough space in a room with a new grandchild that visited often was really difficult to do.

This year, bringing lugging the box up from the basement, my husband proclaimed, “I’m too old to be doing this.”

The bad thing is that he decided this right as I was going through possibly one of the most stressed out days of the month.  Too much hitting me at one time causes stress and that was one more thing that I just did not want to hear. 

Taking the tree out of the box and setting up the base convinced me though that this tree was just too big. 

To make a long story a bit shorter, rather than take the time to go out to buy another tree, we worked out a compromise with this one.  Since the tree comes in three sections, we put the base back in the box and just used the middle and top section for our tree which made it really short, but it took up much less space. 

This size is much easier to deal with except ….

now it’s too short!   Hubby decides to build a box to put under it to raise it up.  I decided for him that would take too much time so hubby decides to improvise and bring up from the basement a hideous looking old tv stand which when turned on it’s side would raise the tree to the perfect height. 

Ok, sorry but this story can’t stay shortened because let me tell you, even though I wanted to try to be congenial and tell him it was a good idea,  there is absolutely nothing that could be done to that sideways sitting tv stand that could disguise the fact that it was a sideways sitting tv stand holding up the tree. 

Hubby was forced to lug the stand back downstairs which thinking about it, he should’ve lugged it outside for trash day.

So there the tree sat until last night when my blessed sweet daughter Jen came over.  The tree was pathetic in it’s shortness and it made me grumpy to even think about so we decided to try an old cherry coffee table under the tree to see how it worked.  Jen took over, moved the table into position, and with the strength of 10 men, she lifted that tree onto the table and ….

I am happy.  I don’t have to shop for  a last minute Christmas tree!

It sits in the corner just perfectly and I’ll put the red tree skirt around it and it will be wonderful.

No more fighting with Christmas trees after this year.  I think this one will be donated to Goodwill and early next year, we will take the time to purchase a nice, perfect sized tree that will require no fighting.

Let this post be a reminder to ME next year in November that I need to shop for a Christmas tree.

 

And I know that this post is really long already but I simply have to show this picture ….

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On Sunday, my sweet husband, when seeing how stressed I was with trying to catch up with the backlog of orders and sewing I had to do, asked me what he could do to help me.  All he had planned for the day was to watch football on tv. 

I have some pillows that need stuffed with wool clippings so I handed him my bag of wool scraps, a pair of scissors and a bowl.  He spent the next hour watching football and cutting wool into tiny little snippets … even smaller and more uniform than I ever would!  He’s such a sweetheart.  I love that man.  :)

Top that for a perfect husband, ladies!  Oh wait … I can top that!

After he did that, he baked up some Christmas cut-out cookies too!  …. and he didn’t even watch football while doing it!

ok, y’all are jealous now, I know.  You can’t have him and I don’t share!

 

For those of you who haven’t entered for a chance to win the Jingle Bells Candy Cane Shelf Pillow, just click HERE and enter a comment in the post to get your name into the drawing.  You must be a “follower” to enter … or a regular reader without a blog. 

 

Happy Day everyone … sheesh this was a looooong post!

13 comments:

Pat said...

UGH....you must have been stressed by all this tree stuff. Let me suggest you pull out a 2010 calendar and write BUY NEW TREE on the first week of November on that calendar. Otherwise, if you are like me, you may forget. *sigh* Your tree looks very pretty now, though. I'm glad your daughter helped figure it out for you.

Lisa said...

Finding the right tree can be hard. I liked your story but I'm sorry you had such a time! I have a 4ft and a 6ft. They are sparce and stand tall and skinny. I love them. I found them in odd places at odd times but I am soooo glad I have them! Good Luck on your hunt. You may want to try to look after Christmas at the sales just in case there is a good one left somewhere!
Hugs, Lisa
ps I so hope I win your pillow! hehe

Anonymous said...

I think we are both two very lucky gals with wonderful husbands. Mine would do the same and does....heck he even washes dishes after a long day of work! We are blessed dear friend.

Anne said...

I can so totally relate to your story. This house has high ceilings but the tree came from our other house. It now sits on a wooden box (that hubby made) but it's so far off the ground that I hate the way it looks. I complain every year, but every year the same ol box shows up! Maybe I'll tell MY daughter to toss it! LOL Yours looks wonderful tho. Merry Christmas!

Something Nice and Pretty said...

Every year we go thur "real tree" or "fake one"... for the past two years we have gone with the fake one WhY? Because DH doesn't want to pay the expensive price for a real one!!! I do hope to get a Germen Twig tree for next year though.

I think your tree looks pretty and thank goodness for daughters huh?:)

Unknown said...

Wait a minute. You mean it is NOT a physical requirement for men to watch every football game possible on a weekend??
I think I've been had!

He sounds like a true sweetie!

Linda said...

Cath, Don't throw out your tree....I saw this in a Country Sampler mag. Get a 1/2 of a whiskey barrell, have your husband to put three or four legs on it. set the tree stand down in it. Then when christmas is over, have a lid to fit on the top, store all your ornaments for the tree in the barrell, and use it for a round looking table somewhere, so cute and prim/country looking!!! Of course the top of the barrell sits about waist high.......perfect for your half tree.!!!

Linda @ Kindlelight Blessings

P.S. Your husband does sound sweet! My husband has been a sweetheart more (the older he gets)too!!!

paulette said...

Loved your Christmas tree story!! And it sounds like you married a gem!
Paulette

Anonymous said...

What a great idea for a tree stand. But, Poor Jimmy! Another project for him. I bet you even have a whiskey barrel laying around somewhere.

Let's see if you can have it done by Christmas. That gives Jimmy 9 whole days to get it done!

Well at lest you are way ahead of me. No tree, a dirty living room, no cookies or biscotti baked and no candy made. We are the only two of 10 houses on the block with no outside lights! Oh, and no gifts bought yet. It's such a wonderful time of the year!

Casserole Carol

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

How nice that your daughter took care of the tree and your husband took care of the stuffing and making cookies! It shows how blessed you are Cathy!

Diane H said...

Cute story. That is a good man if you can get him to do something while watching football! The prelit artificial trees are so lovely - and no fighting with strings of lights. Looking forward to seeing what happens for next year.

Carrie P. said...

Even though your hubby says he is too old he sounds like he is a very patient man.
What a story about your tree. Hope you can find a great tree with the after Christmas sales.

Marie Rayner said...

What a sweetie pie he is after all that effort with the tree and all!! I love your tree, short as it is and I loved reading your tale. How wonderful! I really enjoyed it.