Just over five years ago I moved into an apartment …. And of course fire regulations being what they are cannot have a “real” Christmas tree. It must be artificial. Difficult for me because I basically LOATHE plastic anything.
I searched and searched and searched! For just the right “fake” tree! Two days before Christmas and I still didn't have one. With the assistance of my son we make another trip to the stores WHICH I ALSO LOATHE! And finally something that may be suitable…..the green isn’t too 'garish' - plastic but not too garish, plus there are little bits of brown colour along the branches supposedly to resemble drying needles….seven foot tall okay.
Looked fine in the store …. Standing up on its pedestal all decorated. Should have gone with my first instinct which was to scour the forests for fallen branches, secure them with plaster of paris in a pail and wind lights around. This tree took up one-third of my living room (well, maybe not quite; maybe I’m getting ‘bigger’ and ‘super size’ on this).
It’s one of those assemble type of trees …. Inserting each branch into pre-designated grooves. Also known as an "excursion into ‘pain’".
And I have just this morning constructed this darned tree again. It turned into a construction project five years ago …. And I think this may very well be the last year for this garish, gaudy hunk of plastic, shamefully called a “Christmas tree” .... next year it will be either a potted evergreen, depending on balcony weight restrictions or 'potted' branches.
I have eliminated a total of sixteen branches…..using none of the bottom two rows that stick out half way across the room……and interspersed the smaller ones….. leaving a more open feeling to the tree. I don’t believe the designer of these ‘plastic’ wonders have really walked a forest ….. an evergreen tree does not have to be HUGE and all ENCOMPASSING! (Apologies to designer -- but these trees really are awful!)
Or maybe, I just miss the ‘Charlie Brown’ type trees of my youth.
Next, the lights…… and why is it that another strand put away working does not work this year. So off to the stores --- another string of lights!
Christmas is suddenly becoming mixed blessings!
