Christmas Tree Rant ....

You just can't beat a REAL Christmas tree.

I have a small rant today.  Robert and I have been searching the whole town for a REAL Christmas Tree for a week now.

We can't find a single parking lot anywhere where real Christmas trees are for sale.  We find that so totally strange.

There used to be Christmas tree lots everywhere!  The boy scouts sold them, and the fire department did, too.  Even the local high school used to sell Christmas trees as a fund raiser.  

You could spot the lots easily, too.  They always had long strings of colored lights strung high overhead, all the way around the lot, and visible from a block away.

I remember when I was a child, Daddy would pile all of us into the Parrish station wagon and, like they did in the movie "Christmas Vacation" with Chevy Chase, we would head out into the country to cut down our tree.

But it was so much more than just cutting down a Christmas tree.  In my family, it was a tradition and it was the kick off to our holiday spirit.

While Daddy was putting the lights on the tree, we wrote our letters to Santa.  Then, that done, everyone helped to decorate the aromatic pine with decorations.

Is there a lack of real Christmas trees because everyone is buying artificial trees these days?  I suppose fake trees are okay ... for some people.  They sure look real, not like the spindly ones that first came out years ago.  I hear they even come with lights already attached, too.

(shaking my head)  I'm just NOT buying an artificial tree, and even if I have to drive to other towns, I WILL find a Christmas tree lot selling REAL Christmas trees.

I would miss the smell of pine and besides, I love tradition.   No wonder I never want to grow up ...


Update:  After a lot of searching, Robert and I did find a real tree that year.  It was beautiful and it made our home smell wonderful.  We had a traditional Christmas, just the two of us, like we wanted.

Since our move to Florida in 2012, I have to confess, we both decided we would go the artificial route.  We don't spend a lot of time at home, preferring to be out seeking new adventures in our golf cart or visiting family and friends.

So, last Christmas, we found the perfect tree for our home.  It has all of the lights attached and it goes up in a matter of minutes.

I do miss the scent of a real tree, but we found a pine-scented room spray at Pier 1 and it does a pretty good job ... and tradition?  Well, we're all for starting our own tradition right here, right now ...

Merry Christmas from us to you!


"A writer soon learns that easy to read is hard to write." ~CJ Heck