The tree

I think I've made clear my love of Christmas trees. A tree adds so much to our living room that I want to leave it up all year round... the piney scent, the twinkling lights, the gorgeous ornaments. I feel such pride in bringing back a tree each year from the homeland. I love that it was grown in the same country air I was grown in. I love that we chopped it down with our own two hands (and by we, I mean brother David or Spike). I just love that it came from the homeland, a very special place to me!

Well, this year our tree came from the Medford VFW parking lot. I tried not to cry too hard when Spike and I left the homeland after Thanksgiving without a tree. I tried not to be upset when we had nothing in our living room on the first of December. And I tried not to be a scrooge when we were searching through pre-cut, dying trees for the one that would become ours.

I realize that it's my fault for not planting new trees to replace the ones I have cut down over the years. I've just picked the homeland clean and it has no more trees to offer. However, it's also the fault of the tick who burrowed into my leg and made me afraid to go out in search of a tree. I guess that's the one thing that the Medford VFW parking lot has going for it... no ticks.

But now that she's up and decorated I love her just as much as I've loved any tree from the homeland. She's got the same scent, and same lights, the same decorations, and she fills me with the same Christmas-y spirit. So I'm sure that when it comes time to take her down, I'll still be asking Spike if we can keep her.... as long as she doesn't have ticks.