You know, I get tempted, because Thanksgiving isn't at our home this year, to put my Autumn decor away and get going on Christmas.
Not sure why, but I just cannot seem to do it.
The pictures below were taken with my old camera a few years ago.
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Last years Christmas tree? I just cannot remember.
I think this may have been the year before..but..
here's what has me lying awake at night. (I'm kidding!)
I've been thinking of giving in and finding lovely fake tree and not going to the tree lots looking for that perfect tree.
There are no more little ones to insist that we go to the tree farm.
Okay, THEY didn't insist. I wanted to go! I was first in the car! :)
But..I'm old now and beginning to notice that it's more difficult to do what I have always done.
My heart and my head want to go look..sniff deeply of the pine scent in the air...watch other people and their little ones search..ponder and then pass to the next tree.
Too skinny!
To fat
A big hole in that one.
The top is crooked.!
Etc. etc.
But it's cold out, crowds everywhere. Shouldn't I just find a pretty real LOOKING fake tree?
So..I began looking. I shopped the internet. I saw the high prices and tried to think.."but..this is an investment!" I found that a really pretty real looking tree cost..A LOT! I do not want to spend that kind of money on a tree that is not real.
Then I thought.. "What if I only get to use it a year..two..three..and besides, how many more Christmas's do I have to smell the sweet fragrance of pine and let the memories of taking my children to find that perfect tree come flooding back. The hot chocolate and hot dog's by a roaring fire pit, and them running to find me when they finally find their perfect tree!
It all comes back to me every year.
So..our home will have a pretty fresh Nobel Christmas tree this year..and I'll decorate it..more slowly, and alone as PH and his late wife had stopped having Christmas trees and he just doesn't understand my need to do what I do. So I'll decorate it and sit by the fire with my PH and watch the lights blink and twinkle and enjoy the smile on his face when he sees the end result.
I'll hope the children find time to come and see it..
I'll set the dining room table as though Christmas dinner were going to be here, and I'll put toys under the tree for decoration instead of stacking it with piles of gifts for my children as their father and I did so many years ago.
I'll put my little gifts for PH under the tree, and hope he will get used to what I do at Christmastime.
Our family has gotten so large that each of my children only give gifts to their own little families and one gift to put under the tree for our gift exchange game at my daughters home.
Traditions change.
We gather in a huge circle..both for Thanksgiving and for Christmas and hold hands.
Our gift to each other is just being together.
A prayer is said and then we speak of my daughter, Sandy, and her father, both victims of cancer, and their stepfather who was only with us for six years. Another victim of cancer.
Then..
someone (usually one of my crazy sons) always says something funny..and everyone laughs..and our holidays begin.
I've noticed something.
Not a single one of my grown children have fake tree's!
I'm in a rush to decorate, but I can wait! It's tradition in our family to wait..and so I will. But if you are decorating early for Christmas, I'll come and peek at your beautiful decorations!!
Nope..it's not in me to decorate early but when you have lots and lots, I can see why some dear folks start early. I believe it's their Christmas gift to others.
*smile*
Love,
Mona
P.S, I put some candy canes in a little vintage creamer in the living room..I just couldn't help it!!
I love Christmas so much that I like to decorate the day after Thanksgiving so I can see the tree and all the pretty decorations. I went to a fake one many years ago because I was so afraid that it would catch on fire since I put it up so early. It would be completely dried out when I took it down. With working I didn't get to enjoy it as much as if I were home all the time.
ReplyDeleteSo you should do what makes you happy and the traditions that you have. I am looking forward to seeing all your pretties.
Love your table all set for Thanksgiving with your pretty new dishes.
Happy Thanksgiving Mona. I can hardly wait to eat turkey.
Mary
I usually decorate the day after Thanksgiving, but this year I started early. We are going away for Thanksgiving and then flying to Jamaica the first part of December. I wanted to get it all done before we leave.
ReplyDeleteI have already started to decorate outside - the lights are up and my Charlie Brown bush decorated with small ornaments, snowflakes and candy canes. You have to start early here, for when the snow starts to fly, one does not want to be out decorating. If I lived closer Mona, I would be decorating with you and we would share the excitement of the tree hunt and share hot chocolate. I spent many years by myself and still loved the decorating at Christmas. Its just not the same if you don't. It lifts your heart and brings an inner smile on your face. PH can hold the mirror at an angle, so that you can watch yourself decorate the tree and see that each and every bulb, etc is just in the right place - then for goodness sake, tell him to put away that silly mirror until he hears from me. OK lol
ReplyDeleteMona since you cannot put the fresh tree up for some time why not get a small fake tree maybe for the kitchen and decorate it to your heart's content. Maybe a pencil tree if you want tall....and narrow. I love the real but after spending so many years looking at Christmas trees from October to January...it kinda of loses it's appeal to decorate trees!
ReplyDeleteNice post Mona . . .
ReplyDeleteI have never decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving . . . except in my mind! I think color, bits and baubles, greens and some green which is artificial. I used to have fresh trees throughout the house. Large, tall Blue Spruce, Douglas, White, Fraser, potted small trees too. Now we have a very tall "non fresh" tree and vases of fresh pine here and there. (I like the fresh pine fragrance too.)
I would love a Noble Fir . . . Beautiful and fragrant I am sure. Purchasing a fresh tree in California expensive? Fresh trees here can be very expensive.
What colors will you use this year . . . I think some RED for sure! My colors this year will be a forest green, crisp white, some charcoal and touches of red in berries . . . I love Mulberry fragrance in the house during the holidays . . .
Happy planning . . .
Love and HUGS . . .
I never do Christmas until after Thanksgiving either, Mona. I just can't do it.
ReplyDeleteWe went to a fake tree years ago because we had people in the family with allergies to something in the real trees-resin and/or needle issues. At first I mourned the loss but I spray it with pine scent and people think it is real. lol I have had a "good" one for about 10 years but I think it is not so "good" anymore...and a pox on the person that invented pre-lit as those only work for so long and what a mess!!!! lol
Hope you have a wonderful Holiday season and enjoy every moment of your Holiday- xo Diana
I love a real tree....BUT....here in New Mexico you couldn't find a fresh tree if your life depended on it! They are dry and stiff as a board after only being up about 2 weeks, so sadly I will have a faux tree again this year! I have bought most of my faux trees at yards sales and after Christmas sales, so I don't have a lot of money in them....hugs....
ReplyDeleteI wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating but do it pretty soon after Turkey day! Ya know the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas just speeds right by! I have a fake tree and have for years! It is really pretty and was an investment years ago! Times change and the little ones grow up but we will always remember those times from years ago:) Sending HUGS and PRAYERS your way!
ReplyDeleteMona, What makes me put a tree out every year is the fact that when growing up...we rarely had a tree. You are right , traditions do change. Our children grow up and start their own family traditions. Just as we did. But as long as we all know the Reason for the season...we are doing right. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteHi therer, you sound just like me, with all the children gone and families of their own I don't do a tree anymore. I bought a little fake one that looks like a tree with lights on the tip end that comes on and and that is my tree.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
hugs from Florida
I like the holidays but I would not do what you mention in your blog today, the kids by our high school break into homes and trash the places and smoke pot and take drugs, yes it happens, then the homeless people think it okay to stay in places they don't own. It is a big problem here, be very careful to do what you say you want to do, many are needing places to keep out of the cold, wet and soon snow..just a thought!
ReplyDeleteWe don't do the holidays our only is in NYC and we just don't see any need, we think everyday is a holiday when you think of others, so many are homeless and hungry and unemployed here, the newspaper said everyday in our county there are about 700 people homeless and hungry, so we do what we can, I volunteer at a food place, cook, roast and bake and help where I can, my hubs helps at a senior center and reads at the adjacent library and we walk and talk on our ways to each place I take a bus and my hubs walks to the place he helps out..Happy Holidays and enjoy your family and friends too!
ReplyDeletemy mother loved Christmas like you do and she loved her real tree, even when my brother and i had moved out of state ad it was just her and daddy..the only thing he ever did to a tree, was stand it up safely and sometimes help with the lights since she was short and had a big tree. but he did like to look at it when done.... I went with fake back in 1979... and with fake 2 foot in 1985, now i have 2 of the 2 foot with lights already on them and all i do is hang a few ornaments.. i say do and enjoy what you love and that is what you are doing.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely Christmas memories. Go with the real tree is that is what you desire. I have used fake trees for a good many years. I have 4 six foot trees I put up every year plus some little ones that way I have a tree in every room of the house. I will not start putting up my Christmas decoration until after Thanksgiving. When I was a youngster we always had a real tree. Have a blessed day. Madeline
ReplyDeletei loved reading this - good for you - get that live tree and enjoy! I love that you all hold hands and bless those here and who have gone on.
ReplyDeleteAnother different Header !!!!! ,-)
ReplyDeleteAs to a tree, you have thought it out, and are doing, what you decide is best, for you. Perfect!!!
Here, we always went and cut our Christmas tree down. Then, just the two of us, we got fresh cut, instead of the trooping through the woods. ,-)
Then, we went for a small fake tree. And we have been very happy. We even leave it all decorated, take it up to an unused bedroom, wrap it with plastic, and it is ready, the next year!!!!!
I'm going to cut this comment in 2. ;-)
Tessa~
See I was one of those "Nervous Nellie's"... Who worried about the even fresh tree, getting a little dry, and catching fire. I-was-OC-about-this-issue! Like I am about so many things. -sigh-
ReplyDeleteSo getting a small fake one, solved a big Christmas Time Problem. :-)
Plus, I never enjoyed decorating the Tree. Oh it was so pretty, when done. But it was not fun, for me, to do it.
Soooo, now I don't have to, and he doesn't have to either. All the lights and decorations are on there!!!!! When he brings the Tree down!!!! :-)
Plus, IF I wanted it early, it would be OK. No dry-fire-worries, for it being up, a long time.
Works for us! To each, their own.
Hugs, Tessa~
Mona, do what makes you feel best!! Both my kids do real trees...that's how they were raised!...:)JP
ReplyDeleteWhen our children were home, my husband and son would always go out in the woods and get one they'd kept an eye on all year--(the joys of living in near the countryside.) When, when our two had left home, I just could not get into decorating for Christmas anymore...and my husband had never really enjoyed decorating. In fact, his rather loud, vocal "displeasure" while putting the lights on after getting it in the stand, didn't really add much joy to Christmas!;)
ReplyDeleteWe go to our son's home to spend a few days for Christmas now--and have done this for about 15 years now...so I don't do anything as far as holiday decorating. I'd never want to leave a real tree up while we were gone, and by the time we get home, it would just be time to take everything down, fake or real..
I guess the "decorating gene" I once had just went "POOF" somewhere along the way, as much as I love seeing everyone else decorating and loving it. We like to ride out and see others' decorations at night.
My son said always they'd never get an artificial tree, but a couple of years ago, after my DIL fussed so much about the needles in the carpet...he just sighed and said, "Whatever you want, Honey." We had had wonderful times going to the tree farm with them and their kids to get the "perfect tree", but traditions change. The sky didn't fall when we stopped! We're just very glad we're welcomed there to celebrate Christmas with them and our grandchildren, where there's plenty of room for us all---oh, and we join hands and say "Thank you, Lord", as well.
As long as we're all are happy with what we choose, and we all gladly accept one another's choices with love--then we've all got the true Christmas Spirit! I hope we never lose that!
When our son was tiny, he was allergic to so many things and trees were one of them. I bought a pretty 7 ft. faux tree so he wouldn't be sick thru the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI've used them ever since...love my little 4 ft. tree (it was too hard for us to take the bigger tree up to the attic). I do, now, get fresh greenery from the places where they sell real trees so I have "the" smell of freshness.
We are all starving for Thanksgiving and the good foods. :)
xoxo
Your blog header is so pretty. I love your pretty plants, especially that bright green kind of ferny looking one.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't put up any Christmas tree for several years. Not since the kids are out of the house. We celebrate part of Christmas at my husband's sister's home, and part of Christmas at my daughter's.
I do put up other Christmas decorations all around the house. I want to get a pre-lit tree. I detest dealing with all of the lights for the tree. I love putting all of the ornaments onto the tree, and I am missing seeing all of my pretty Christmas ornaments that were collected through the years. I have a tendency to get in a very blue mood as we get into December. In November, it always seems like a great idea to get a new tree and put it up, but by the first or second week in December all of the wind just kind of goes out of my sails for a while, and I seem to get the blues. Maybe this year will be different. I would put a tree up in November, but our home is so small I have to move all kinds of furniture out and around to accommodate a tree and November would just make it too long a time for everything to be so discombobulated.
Who knows, maybe this will be the December that I snap out of it and put up a tree again. I would like for my grandson to see all of the stuff that Grandma puts on the tree. It's two days worth of placing ornaments on the tree.
Your Christmas traditions sound beautiful.
Susie D.
When I was physically unable to deal with a real tree, I found a very natural looking fake tree. I thought I would be disappointed, but it really does look fabulous & like a real noble fir when decorated. It even lets you change the lights from colored or plain white. The best part is I can lift all 3 pieces, stick them together & the light come on all in less than 5 minutes. I do not miss watering it like crazy, needles falling or the fire hazard and no lugging it to the wood chipper down the road when done. It just slides back in it's bag until next year. Because I do miss the smell of a real tree, I go to the local tree stand where they love to have people take away bags of branches they have trimmed off the trees they are selling. I put greenery on my mantle and in baskets with giant pine cones and it makes the whole house smell Christmasy.
ReplyDeletePerhaps PH and your kids have no clue how much you would appreciate a little more help & some enthusiasm when it comes to helping your decorate for Christmas. Men often don't lend a hand unless you tell them what you would like to happen. Just because PH didn't do much with his late wife, doesn't mean he should be sitting back once he married the Queen of decorating. Ask him to help just because it is important to you. He might actually enjoy decorating the tree. Wasn't that how it went with handing out the Halloween candy? Try not to be hurt by not seeing your kids more often, but have a talk with them about how you would love some decorating help & to spend a day where they can help with getting your house decorated & then all of you could make a new tradition of getting together that day & maybe all going out to lunch or breakfast be part of the fun too. Sometimes people are so busy with family & work that they seldom have time to think about how Mom is getting older & could use help. They probably assume PH is helping you or they just need to be told how much you miss seeing them esp. around the holidays. Most of the time, once they know what you need them, they will find time to bring the Grandkids over for a visit for a day or to spend the night. Grandkids should have great memories of visiting Grandma at Christmas time. Maybe even create a new tradition for them. My Mom used to make sugar cookie cutouts in all shapes the day before & the Grands were happy to spend a couple hours icing & decorating the cookies to take home. My sister & I always did the decorating for my Mom when she reached an age where it was too much for her to do on her own. I think it made her crazy because we went a little overboard. but I think she appreciated spending the day together & seeing assorted grandkids. We always finished by going out to lunch at our favorite restaurant & catching up on what was happening in our lives. I have missed that terribly in the 7 years Mom has been gone.
Please try to tell your kids how you feel & PH as well. It just makes it harder on you to keep those feelings inside & I know your kids just don't realize how much it would mean to you to spend a special day together. Let them know that you would like to start a new tradition of getting together on a date that works for everyone to help you get the house decorated the way you would like, get the tree up and then go out to lunch/dinner together. People get so busy these days that sometimes you have to tell them what you would like or need help with & then they are happy to find the time to help out. It would be nice if people were able to read our minds, but that seldom happens in reality.
Hi Mona, I enjoyed your post. Years ago we got a fresh tree after having a fake one. It smelled wonderful, but we had to put it up late, take it down early, keep water in it and sweep needles. So we have had fake trees ever since. I can put it up early and leave it as long as possible In fact I have few and decorate with themes. But you have to do what feels right for you. I found these scented sticks at Michael's and Hobby Lobby and they make the fake tree smell good. They have various pine tree scents. I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeletehi Dear Mona! Well, we're that family that starts to put up the tree right after I wash the last dish from Thanksgiving lunch! :) I'm such a kid at heart that I love to enjoy it as long as I can! I know it's so special to have a real tree but we stopped that when our daughter brought home a rabbit from her class to keep through the holidays and that darn rabbit kept climbing inside the tree and trying to get up in it! So we have a fake one and I don't have to water it, needles don't fall and I can poke it up early.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry I've confused you. Okay, we sold our home in Texas and then moved into a little condo in the same town. We thought we'd live in the condo around 6 months or more. But...we found a house in upstate New York, about 3 miles from my daughter and her family (grandbabies!)and moved in here about 2 months ago. We love it and get to see those babies almost every day. Hope that clears it up for you.
I wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
We always had a real tree, but for the past 10yrs or so we went to fake...we have a grandson with serious allergies and pine is one of them. My hubby loves when we decorate and loves to sit and enjoy the tree..fake or otherwise! I'm sure PH does too..it would be hard not to catch your enthusiasm! I'm a die hard, no decorate until after Thanksgiving. I think that holiday deserves to shine on it's own and be enjoyed. This year I'll decorate a bit less since I'm having surgery the day after Christmas...I'm having total knees done..yep, both at the same time..call me crazy but they need replaced and I don't want to do it at different times. Get 'er done! Anyway, have a good Thanksgiving and I'll look forward to seeing the Christmas tree when you're done!
ReplyDeleteAmei conhecer o seu blog lindo,já fiquei por aqui!!!Achei maravilhoso!!!
ReplyDeleteVisite-me:http://algodaotaodoce.blogspot.com.br/
Siga-me e pegue o meu selinho!!!
Obrigada.
Beijos Marie.
Hi Mona - I'm so glad you stopped by my blog so I was able to find you! Loved your post. I love a real Christmas tree too, and for many of the same reasons - the smell of pine needles, the wonderful memories We won't put it up for another couple of weeks but I might sneak a few odds in here and there before then. I just can't help myself.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Susan
Hi Mona, just stopping by to give a quick hello, see what you have been up to and wish you happy holidays. I rarely visit blogs these days or leave comments. It has been a dismal Nov. and now Dec, is gray and rain filled too. I need some sunshine! Sounds like you're doing well. Xox
ReplyDelete