December 18, 2008

Tree Cutting...




While growing up we always had artificial trees. I never minded, they were perfect and i knew no different... So many hand made ornaments, all of them meaning something to some member of the family. One year, instead of pulling out the ornament boxes, my family made all construction paper ornaments. Chains, angels, stars... I absolutely adore making paper chains, and always have... i wish that were something i had the time to do this year (but you Etsy folk are keeping me far to busy).
When i first started dating Stephen a little over 4 years ago, It was nearly Christmas. They were talking about cutting down a tree. His whole huge family drove about 45 minutes through some nice farmy area to these beautiful fields of Christmas trees. There were so many different kinds.... They get long needled pines, the lights look gorgeous through the thick coat of needles...
very different from being able to see the cords on an artificial tree. All of the ornaments barely peek out from the needle blanket.

Once he had moved in with me at my apartment in college, we got our own. Same kind as his family had gotten the previous year... We lived in a great row house in Richmond (where they do not allow real Christmas trees). However this was all so exciting to me, i couldn't resist sneaking one up the back stairs.
One day we came home and it smelled like gas. We called the fire department. Realized we had to hide the tree... dragged it into our bedroom closet and very frantically swept, all while trying to coax out two very scared cats... The firemen never did find the tree....


Then i quit art school and we moved back to Fredericksburg to live with my parents. So again i got to enjoy their wonderful ornament encrusted tree. So full of life. I always love their tree. My mom and sister maintain that there can never be too many ornaments, all though they now have a second tree to house some of them...


We lived with my parents for a year then my grandmother announced(with some pushing from my parents), that she she was going to rent her old house to us (to own!!!!). SO the following Christmas after moving in we got our first tree... this time Stephen let me pick the tree. I loved the short needled blueish ones that resembled my parents artificial tree at home... so that what we brought home. We draped it with lights, all of my Nana and Papa's old tin ornaments, and he and his brother hung a feathered rooster upsidedown over the tree as a sort of tree topper (that remained hanging from the ceiling until earlier this year).

Now we take turns every year, the next year it was his turn to pick the tree( long needles), this year its my turn again (short)! We agreed that a nature inspired tree would be wonderful. We have had this tree for a couple of weeks now, but have been to busy to decorate it. It is still standing rather crookedly in its slightly to big stand...

if we ever get around to it we are going to string it with white lights, acorn garland, pine cones, blue wild berries growing down our street, and fall leaves we collected before... I cant wait to see it finished. its going to be the most grand tree. We could only afford a 5 footer, but he is nearly just as wide. It looks wonderful beside the old piano in front of the double windows.

I really cant wait for the Christmas feeling to hit me. Ive been wearing a Santa hat to work(required), listening to Christmas songs, watering hundreds upon hundreds of poinsettias, and making-packing-and shipping customers Christmas presents... but i havent had a moment to stop and think of me or my family for Christmas yet. I've got a full load on my shoulders this year. But I'm sure when i look back after its all over, that i wouldn't change a thing :)

i hope you all have the very merriest of christmases!

3 comments:

Kate said...

You know, I was thinking today about how I'm not feeling particularly Christmassy this year. Your post, though, made me feel really nostalgic and I felt that familiar holiday twinge. Thank you. It was beautiful.

Swestie said...

I live in Richmond! Are you now in Fredericksburg? Do you have your little pieces in a shop in the "area"?

The Oak Leaves said...

thanks kate, im glad i could help! and swestie, no i dont have anything in a shop yet. im waiting to open my own within the next five years in our downtown area... i wish carytown was closer-would be the perfect spot!