Confessions of A Christmas Tree Grinch -Chapter 2: Just Desserts

Here in Missouri for many years my arch nemesis has been nothing more nor less than the proverbial Christmas tree.  For me it has been the fly in the ointment of my holiday cheer.  If you'd like to read more about this go here: Christmas Grinch

But here, before I go further, is a picture of my little Christmas Tree Grinch-let.  This was her first Christmas, 2007.  Haha...

We were at Gary's aunt's house, and Ellen was just not having any of this posing beneath the Christmas tree.  Nope, nope, nope!

Anyway.  I digress.

Here, also in 2007, is how I got our Christmas tree:

Look at that smile.  And the rather dull saw.  Little did I know this chore would become an overwhelming aggravation.

Fast forward to last year; 2017.  Mama had had enough.  Mama got a very nice fake Christmas tree from her Secret Pal in early 2018.

And the wailing began...  (see above Ellen picture for an idea).

So I said; "Fine.  I don't mind decorating it.  But I am NOT going to get it."

Last month, as is our tradition,  Ellen and I went up the road to the fence row and picked out a tree.  They are all getting super tall so we chose one where the top looked good enough to use.

I tied a plastic grocery bag onto one of the limbs.  I tell Gary the Tree-Getter the day before that the trees are all too tall so we are topping them.  Ellen tells him to cut above the plastic.

Today Gary takes the saw THE. CHAIN.  SAW. up there in the truck.  I waited and waited, took the dog for a 30 minute walk and wondered what was going on.  It's only a 3 minute drive and a 5 minute walk up the fence row.

I get back to the house and Ellen is on the phone.  "It's Daddy."  I call back.

He's walked both fence rows, toting THE CHAIN SAW.  He wasn't happy.  I told him where it was again.  "Oh, it's so tall I didn't think that could be the one."

A few minutes later he drags in this humongo tall tree with a trunk w/ a diameter the size of my open hand nearly.  Having done his duty he goes off to put out hay, rather disgruntled.  I forbore
to give any feedback.  I think he started to get the idea. 

I go get the dull saw and take off a chunk:

Then we drag it into the house and get it set up in the corner, having trimmed it so looks as wonky as possible.

Then Ellen and I listened to Christmas music while we decorated it.

And all is well Christmas-wise in the House of Howard; wonky and all!

I still intend to get out my fake tree and decorate it with random other decorations that I have always saved back.  But time is running out.  Maybe next year.