Our Christmas Tree has basically been a freshly cut pine tree from one of our near-by forests (here in the Bitterroot Valley, we have many). So very dear to us are our memories of making our yearly trip to the snowy mountains to spend the Sunday after Thanksgiving hunting for the perfect tree. My daughter's family always came along and we would make a day of it, sledding, building a campfire, and roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. Big thermoses of cocoa would keep tummies and little fingers warm. Oh, how I loved those rosy cheeks and noses!
The next week, Larry would get the tree into a stand and make sure it was straight. Once we got it into the house, it was my turn to get it decorated. For 25 years, I decorated the tree with little white sparkly lights, red and green wooden beaded garland, red shiny balls, and the many ornaments collected over a lifetime of travels, gifting, making and inheriting.
Last year, I realized that, with my two oldest grandchildren in college and nearly grown, and the youngest a very grown-up 16, change is necessary. It is time for my daughter and her husband to host Christmas Dinner; time to cut way back on gift-giving (toys for 20 year-olds are a lot more expensive than toys for 10 year-olds!); time for me to quit climbing up and down the ladder 20+ times to set up the Christmas village. Time to --GASP-- get a fake tree!
I was amazed to find that, in organizing and sorting my boxes of Christmas Decorations, I have accumulated so many lovely old glass ornaments. This collection almost came about without me being aware of it happening! So this year, as traumatic as it has been, I have a beautiful, "Grandma's House" Christmas Tree!
Merry Christmas! And thank-you for being interested in what I have to share!
I miss hunting Christmas trees. I just came across pictures of the year we joined you before we had Baby M!! 🥰