It's all about the Tree

This doesn't look like an Earl May tree. Cute kids though!

When I was a child, Mom always got our Christmas trees from Earl May. They would deliver the beautiful tree to our home at 202 Crombie in Atlantic and put it in the garage. Then later, when Dad came home from a long week selling Lorraine lingerie to stores across Iowa, he'd bring the tree in and put it in the stand. Sometimes he'd have to saw off a couple branches first. That was the extent of Dad's "yard work". There was were usually snarly words involved when the tree came into the house...and then back out again...pine boughs flew. Needles dropped.

Fireplace at right, woven rug and beautiful Christmas tree. TV was temporarily moved. Loved my Juddy dog. I wonder if Mom has her wiglet on here...?

A few years Mom decided to put the tree in the Family Room - that was our former Screened in Porch. My folks decided to finish the porch as another room in 1965 or 1966. They revamped that whole end of the house -  to move the kitchen to the front of the house, from the back. Oak plank flooring was installed in the front hall, kitchen and the new family room. Mom bought a big woven rug featuring earth tones for the Family Room.

For a political science major - Mom had a knack for decorating. A metal fireplace, finished in antiqued blue was installed on one wall of the room. I loved to put my feet on there when a nice fire was popping. Mom always put pine cones and greenery along the mantle with candles. We'd stick our fingers in there when she wasn't looking - coating them with wax. Mom was a great holiday decorator. I'm not quite sure what happened to me...

A console television graced the corner of the room - before remote control, the kids were the channel changers. The options were ABC (7), CBS (6), and NBC (3). Mom wouldn't let us watch Brady Bunch - no matter what station it was on, because she didn't feel it portrayed realistic life. Yeah, like Archie Bunker did...


Someone doesn't look thrilled about the red jumper...

Most of the time the tree took its place in the formal living room. That way it was more out of the way. The living room was the fancy room. Mom decorated that room with furniture from her parents' home. Grandma Morehead liked silk and baubles. Mom would put the gingerbread house here with little figures and puffy stuff to simulate snow. It seemed magical to me. Our stockings were hung on the same Ethan Allen pieces I have today. Mom knitted them for us and then for each grandchild. I'm not sure she got one done for Baby David. I think someone finished one up for him.

So I have a family history of great fresh Christmas trees. In college, my roomies and I always got our own little tree to decorate in our apartment at 230 Campus Avenue. When Paul and I got married, we started putting up our own trees, but it wasn't until we moved to Creston that we started going to Christmas Tree farms to select and cut our own trees. First we went to Corning. Later, a state forester Paul knows had a farm near Afton.

A perfect tree, and cute lil kids. I'm glad Amy learned how to do her hair...

It was fun to take the kids and Moki the Wonder Dog out to select the perfect tree. We would walk around the hillside until I zoned in on just the right one. The family that owned the tree farm always had hot cider warming in the garage - it was so homey. Much nicer than buying one at the store! Alas, when the cherubs got older, they no longer wanted to go along to get the tree. I broke down and bought a fake tree. Less mess. I don't miss cleaning up the pine needles months after Christmas.

Now we spend our Christmas holiday with our fam, the Lefebvres in Vail. They get their tree from the mountainside! Now that our beloved Boldie is gone, Cindy and Bolder's son Colby is in charge of getting the tree. Cindy hides a pickle on it. The person that finds the pickle wins a present!

Kids look for the pickle

Christmas trees have a lot of symbolism. I don't know what the official story is. For me the symbolism is in the ornaments. There are some from my childhood, others from Amy and Jud's childhoods. There is a very special one from Iowa Methodist for Patrick. We have Packers and Cyclones bulbs. Sally's Mom Anna Day used to give me a cute ornament every year. They're very special to me. There are others of deer and recycling. I like that most of the ornaments tell a story - just like most of the things on my walls. They make me smile.

Okay - now I'm ready to put my tree up this weekend - to remember, and to smile.