Small Oversight

/ J. F. Riordan

Life can be busy sometimes, what with eighth grade basketball practice, slope intercepts, multiple broken appliances, Christmas preparations, and hauling ten eighth-graders to and from an escape room. So somehow, we have managed to wait too long to buy our Christmas tree.

I bought a small one for the library as I do every year, and mostly handled it myself. But our main tree, the one that has to go to the ceiling, is more of a family project, and finding the right time to shop for it has been tricky.

I expressed my concern to my husband last night. “We live in Wisconsin,” my husband pointed out. “The land of Christmas trees.” And it’s true. The trees are harvested in August, then stored underwater in river beds until it’s time to ship across the country. But somehow the supply seems more limited than usual. We always buy our tree from a family who set up at the motel parking lot. They are from “Up North”. They are cheerful guys with rosy faces and thick Wisconsin accents. They are part of our tradition, and when their postcard comes every November we welcome it as a sign of the season. But when I drove past yesterday they only had two sizes left: Too small and WAYYY too big. The local Optimists Club, who sell trees to raise funds for scholarships, were also down to a dozen or so small, but pretty trees. Same with our family-run nursery, and the cut-your-own lot a bit out of town was already closed.

Now, as a confession, last year, when our worries about dried-out trees and fires were fresh in our minds, I bought a splendid fake tree from Balsam Hill. It looks very real, probably, and as a bonus, all the lights are already on it. I am stickler for lights, and yet it is a job I dread in both the putting-on and the taking-off of them. But somehow, for this Christmas with the family coming from France and Washington, it seems wrong to have a fake tree as our main tree. I just can’t seem to do it. And so, it’s still sitting in its box in our attic, doubtless inhabited by singing mice.

We will have to go on a tree hunt tonight after the basketball game. (What is the opposite of “undefeated”?)

It may come down to the fake tree after all.

Gratuitous Dog Photo

Auggie patiently snoozing while I work. No fire; it will be 55 degrees today.

27 thoughts on “Small Oversight”

  1. I have memories of walking in the snow with my father and cutting down a tree for Christmas and dragging it back on my sled. A joy of growing up very rural.

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  2. The Balsam Hill tree may give you just a bit of respite this year, and you will enjoy it just the same. You’ll be better prepared next year. Give yourself a break and enjoy the new tree! Those lights! A gift from God, I tell you…

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  6. I hope you find the perfect tree. Remember larger one can be cut to size! I shared your dread of putting the lights on the tree. I aspire to have a balanced perfectly lit tree with no dark areas but that is usually a pipe dream. Eli looks so comfortable. I have to say that you are enjoying a higher temperature than we have here in Spain. As I write this, our temperature is 54 degrees and that is supposed to be our high of the day. But WE HAVE SUN! This is the first day we have seen the sun in quite a while. According to the forecast we are projected to have sun until next Tuesday. I hope you come to a decision for the Christmas decorations that satisfies you, but don’t stress yourself too much. The joy of having your loved ones in the home should be the best part of the season. Enjoy them all! JoAnn

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  7. My wife used cuttings from trees on our property and trees nearby in the woods

    Fir, spruce and pine trees.

    It does not replace a tree but it’s pretty close, with proper lighting and decorations offers a lovely ambiance throughout the house

    Cutting down a 20 -25 year old tree for just 1 day does not make any sense to me

    Love your photos, please keep them coming

    Buon Natale a tutta la famiglia !

    P

    >

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  12. Balsam trees are gorgeous. Put that one up. Then go back to your favorite tree seller and ask for cuttings. Take the cuttings and place them all over the house….and a few strategically placed in the tree. You will get that wonderful smell. I don’t know if you have any cedar trees on your property but cuttings from these trees also add to the smell and look soft within other tree cuttings.

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  13. I’ve never had a real tree in my six decades of life. I’m not sure it ever mattered, the kids were happy with anything that had presents under it. Now I might manage to get out my fabric cactus that sings Felis Navidad and shakes irs “butt.”

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  14. I’ve had a Balsam Hill tree for the past 8 years or so. I got one of their slender ones for our front living room/ kitchen area a few years back- we now have two trees in the house. They are beautiful. We always had fake trees growing up; probably more affordable for my parents; only my dad worked and real trees have always been pricey. My brother insists on a real tree and he gets beautiful ones every year. We used to get a real tree which was a challenge with a Doberman and Jack Russell wanting to pre on it 😂. I do miss the tradition of going to the lot and buying the tree; looking around for the perfect tree 🌲 with my niece Ginger (who is 15 now but says she’d still join us if we went back to a real tree) Maybe next year. Greetings from my dad Manuel. He really liked “Agosto’s” picture today.

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  16. Sad to say, that all the real trees seem to be gone here too. We will go with an artificial tree and I’m sure it will be fine. I laughed when my children all had theirs up by December first. I’m not laughing now..

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  17. Here in Maine, I’ve noticed people have started putting their trees up before Thanksgiving, a mortal sin in this rather lapsed Catholic’s mind but it does mean the trees go quickly. Good luck, I hope you find the perfect tree.

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  19. Oh yes, I understand the need for a real tree. They smell so lovely and they are soooo beautiful. However the Balsam Hill tree is a stupendous substitute. I don’t have one, but my neighbor stores her BH tree in my attic every year. I have seen it decorated. 😄 I live in the Washington DC area, in a row house and have one of the few houses with an attic. 🤣 Our neighborhood is very friendly. This year though, I have been spared the dilemma of tree hunting. On Saturday I’m heading to the great state of Kentucky for the holidays to hang with the grandkids and grand-dogs. They have done all the heavy lifting and I get to sit back and enjoy the festivities…bourbon treats, wine etc., etc., etc. Happy Hunting. ❤️

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