The getting of the family tree

Tom confiscated the first tree for his man cave where it sat naked for two weeks. I told the boys we would go get the tree for the living room. Tom had golf at noon so we had to get up early to get it done with their father.



No one got up. Tom went off to meet his foursome. I drove him to the club. The cold weather had frozen the ground so all tee times were delayed. The club was packed with men waiting to golf. Tom decided that he did not want to do a shot gun start. It was just too cold without his old fancy cart with a heater. He ordered lunch. I texted Trevor in my devious way and told him his father was still available to go find a tree with us all, as his game had been canceled, but Trevor would have to call his dad and ask his father to go. I know my asking wouldn't be enough on such a cold day. I knew if Trevor asked Tom might participate in our family event. How could a father turn down his son when asked to go pick out a Christmas tree.

Tom's phone rings and I hear him pick up "Hello Trevor".



I drove home to get the boys. We all gathered at the club. Tom wanted his own car. I had the rig that would carry the tree. We had bundled up with hats and gloves and heavy coats at home. The boys had helped remove the roof box so we could get a bigger tree that wouldn't fit in the back. Riley road with me while Trevor road with his father. Tom followed me into the hills. I knew the tree farm we wanted to use.





I should have realized with the inclusion of Tom it would not be my turn to pick a tree. Even though Tom had received the first tree, he felt he had not picked it as Trevor and I had delivered it to him. I had been planning on getting another Douglas fir. They are the least expensive. Tom had his heart set on a Noble fir. I parked on the far side of the tree farm and Tom pulled into the first lot by the entry gate. We called each other on the phone asking "Where are you? We found the tree."





Tom walked over to see Riley's and my pick, vetoed it. I moved the car to his area and Trevor began sawing down their favorite pick, but not before we reconnoitered the whole tree farm on foot to make sure that that first tree Tom picked out was still the best.

The sawing took about ten minutes. Everyone tried a few strokes on the saw we received coming in at the front gate. Trevor did the lion's share with much heckling and advice from Tom. Trevor put his coat on the ground so no one would get dirty knees. The coat was covered with dirt ground in by our knees by the end of the process. I had brought the chain saw, but Tom didn't hear any other chain saws so was reluctant to use it. The tree finally fell with a little push from me. The boys sawed off the last splinters and carried it to the car.





We tied the tree to the roof with bungee cords. Tom asked the clerk in one of the tree stations if they had wood bases. They did have the cross board bases for $2.50. We tossed the two boards into the trunk with a long nail. The boys and I headed down to Santa's village for our free hot cocoas. Tom headed home to wait for us and the tree to arrive.





We got home and I gathered the drill for making the hole in the base for the nail. Tom drilled and hammered on the base and Trevor and he carried it inside. Tom set the tree upright, which turned out to be more of a 75 degree angle. The nail hole was crooked. I told him to take the tree back outside and I would run to Walmart for a real base and get some more lights. Tom knocked off the crooked base outside and left the tree on the front porch.





Trevor came with me to Walmart. We passed an aisle with tree top stars. I was just telling Trevor how I didn't like the stars when my phone rings. Tom wants a star that lights up for the top of the tree. Trevor can't help chuckling over the fact I had just moments earlier told him how I didn't like the stars. Ah, well, it was my own fault for wanting to include Tom in the process. We picked out a star for the top.





Trevor fell in love with the new LED lights. They cost $10 a strand compared to $2 for the old style. I bought some more garland and a couple of wreaths and suction cups for the windows. By the time we were done we had spent $200 on decorations. Ouch.





I bought some lights for the exterior of the house, but I am finding with the exotic electricity on this house, I may not be able to plug them in anywhere outside. I would love a plumber and an electrician for Christmas. We have now turned off the main floor toilet until we get around to fixing it for flushing itself periodically. I didn't mind since the boys forget to flush, but it did flush itself annoyingly often.





I came home and put the new base on the tree, tightened it up and stood the tree up, Checked for straightness before Trevor and I carried it into the house. We also put the lights on while the tree was outside, but it was getting dark and without power we couldn't see if we placed the lights right. They needed much adjustment once we plugged the tree in inside.

To buy us some extra height the tree sits on a table in front of the two story windows. It makes the tree especially tall and difficult to decorate. Lucky I have such tall boys. They stood on the stepping stool to adjust the lights and decorate. I did do my stuffed animals again. They are just so easy and unbreakable. Most of the stuffed animals have a memory or trip associated with them. I threw on some strands of beads for glitter and fill in, and the second tree is now decorated. Trevor stuck a tiny glass angel on the top. Because the tree is so tall you can barely see the angel. Riley thinks we need to add more lights.

Tom's tree in his man cave has lights now, but that looks to be as far as he plans to go with it, not to forget the lit star on the top.

The house is decorated. I like the suction cupped wreaths in the windows, though the suction cups only hold the light weight fake wreaths. I may go get some more for the front windows.

Now I am going to wrap presents.