| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| bougainvillea blooms |
Posted - Nov 24 2004 : 8:07:56 PM
Yay! I'm so excited Christmas is almost here!
Mostly because one night this month I get to put up THE TREE....It's a big fake tree my parents bought for their first married Christmas together in 1972....I know a lot of people would never have a fake tree, but dead Christmas trees in the alley on January 10th always make me feel sad.
My tree is the one I saw every year of my childhood since I was born (actually, the tree was put up and taken down on the same night the year I was born, but that's another story) and I remember everything, the prickly branches laid out in bunches according to size (and the color-coded tips of the branches which were different shades of my mother's nail polish--her ingenuity), using the gold tinsel as an extra long feather-boa while my father laid out the lights---the good old days when one bad bulb meant two-thirds of the string was out, and trying to find the culprit was the highest level of infuriation. I can even recall the unusual and varied curseword invocations he used exclusively, it seemed, for the annual showdown with the Christmas lights.
But once it was finally "put up", and the tinsel, glass balls, frosted candy canes and toy ornaments were on....it was the most heavenly thing in my young life. Fat, golden, decadent, with multicolored strands of "flower" and "snowflake" 70's lights twinkling arrythmically (those were the days before synchronized "motion" lights)...well, between this, the fresh snow outside, and my birthday on Dec 9, I would be about to pass out from pure pleasure.
When my husband and I moved to our first house, my mother gave me the tree and all the ornaments, even the lights and decaying tinsel. I hadn't seen it in its full glory for about 10 years (my parents having bought a newer, softer, slightly more tasteful version once I moved away and couldn't argue) Putting it up made me just as happy as when I was a child. There were other things I discovered in those boxes of ornaments, too....old packaging with my beloved, long-dead grandfather's handwriting in the return address, shopping bags from old defunct stores my mom used to take me to in Brooklyn in the 70's...even a tiny box with pictures of my mother, 8 months pregnant with me. I was newly pregnant with my first child at the time and it felt so amazing to have a huge part of my past preserved for my future.
My last string of original 70's lights died a couple years ago, and then I had the brilliant (I hope) idea last January to get some bargain sets off Ebay--- this year I look forward to cursing and pounding the floor for several hours with my beautiful new, old lights... They are the coolest, nothing they make today compares to them. They look like they are straight out of Walt Disney's Fantasia.
Did I rhapsodize enough LOL!! Everyone probably thinks I'm crazy for having so much love for a huge 1970's metal Christmas tree, but this is the first time I've told the whole story (well, not the whole story.....I didn't say why the tree went up only for 3 hours in 1974!)
If anyone made it through my giant article, do any of you have Christmas things from your past that you can't wait to see out every year?
Jen |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Idahospud |
Posted - Dec 10 2004 : 07:22:44 AM
Cecelia, I love the rosemary plant idea--I just might have to do that!
We have a neighbor with a tree farm, and we support him almost every year. When our friends coax us to go with them (and I'm not hugely pregnant or have a newborn) we have gone up into the hills to get one. But it is hard to see all the unsold trees on tree lots! On one hand, they're already cut, so folks may as well buy them (and they *were* specifically grown and groomed for the event), but OTOH, it does seem like a waste. One more good reason to plant a tree on Arbor Day! |
| cecelia |
Posted - Dec 09 2004 : 6:43:05 PM
Yes, we used to cut a fresh tree when we had farms/country property in the family. Then we used to just drive out and find a tree farmer, etc. to cut from. Once we found an older lady who was letting people cut trees, I think she just needed the money, because the trees were "wild" and not cultivated. She only wanted $5 but we gave her more (that's some time ago). That was one of the best Christmases ever.
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
| bramble |
Posted - Dec 09 2004 : 2:40:56 PM
There are many reasons for tree choices but one I rarely hear and I subscribe to is that by getting a fresh cut tree from a local tree farm I am supporting an agricultural use of land and it will continue to be planted and harvested as long as the farm does well. We have had no tree farms in our area go out of business so it must be a smart and profitable use of non tillable acreage.Just another perspective to consider, it also gives regular crop farmers some income right before the months of little to no activity other than maintenance and planning the new season. We have never bought a pre cut tree because I like to see and choose where my money is going. I do miss the days when my grandfather grew a small lot for the family and we would choose and tag our trees on Thanksgiving with him.
with a happy heart |
| cecelia |
Posted - Dec 09 2004 : 12:52:27 PM
In an effort to be "ecologically correct" we now use an artificial tree (though I'd prefer the real thing). Today at the grocery I bought a rosemary plant, about 15" high, to use as a tabletop tree. Besides smelling heavenly, (if heaven smells like a forest!), I can use the rosemary in my cooking, and plant it outside in my herb garden come Spring. Maybe I'll put mini ornaments on it too!
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Dec 09 2004 : 06:55:28 AM
You know Cecelia it seems like those trees are EVERYWHERE this Christmas! I was watching HGTV and it was a Christmas retrospective and there was about 20 minutes of it devoted to nothing but the aluminum tree thing. I guess this new generation of 20 somethings really likes them?
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| cecelia |
Posted - Dec 08 2004 : 4:22:37 PM
Aluminum trees live on!!! I just saw a NEW one for sale in a catalog: costs over $350 AND you can get a NEW color wheel to go with it! Can't wait to get one 
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
| bramble |
Posted - Dec 04 2004 : 1:08:04 PM
I know all about the tradition of hiding it and I also know that it is German but who knows what possessed that first person, maybe Santa didn't like cookies! But a PICKLE?!!! That's about as attractive as a pig snout! (Though rather cute when attached to the whole pig!)And speaking of pigs... does anyone smash the pepermint pig with the little silver hammer? Though rather barbaric the kids just LOVE that one... and dismantling the gingerbread house that took FOREVER to make!
with a happy heart |
| Kim |
Posted - Dec 04 2004 : 07:48:50 AM
UGH! I JUST read an article on the tradition of the Christmas Pickle and cannot remember where I read it!! If I come across the article I'll let you know. One year for Christmas my mom got the whole family glass pickle ornaments from Seckler Pickle Company (with jars of pickles or course) in Indiana.
farmgirl@heart
Be at peace with yourself and the rest will follow |
| Eileen |
Posted - Dec 03 2004 : 1:22:17 PM
Hey the pickle is a tradition!! German I believe. You hide the pickle somewhere on the tree where it is difficult to see and on the big day the person to find it gets a special prize! In our house it is always some wonderful cookie, you know, one of those georgeous, too good to look at to eat hand decorated ones that cost a couple of bucks at a really fancy bakery.
I would like to know who started that tradition with a pickle? It seems like it could have been something else. Was it origionally a real pickle? hmmm?
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| bramble |
Posted - Dec 03 2004 : 08:30:53 AM
Ceclia you are too funny! We have the "ugly" elf(mentioned above) and
a green blown glass pickle, do they count?!!! Or perhaps the lobster with snapping claw action?!!! My family is very strange and our friends are even stranger! We had a tree trimming party some 20 years ago and people brought ornaments, things they would never have put on their own I think! It was the tree we all still talk about because they were sure I would have replaced these weirdos but didn't.(It was a huge tree and I didn't have the collection of stuff I have now, so..)
Now they are delegated to a little tree on the sun porch and continue to be a topic of conversation among the kids!
with a happy heart |
| cecelia |
Posted - Dec 02 2004 : 6:25:10 PM
I don't know where the tree is now - I'll have to ask my cousin. She is having a "Christmas Tea Party" (wonder where she got that idea) - this from a woman who doesn't celebrate Christmas!
I got to thinking of Christmas pasts, so I thought I'd start a new topic....We used to have one really ugly ornament - a huge red glass globe. The joke was that we couldn't drop it, ever. I think it took over 40 years for that thing to finally break!
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
| bramble |
Posted - Dec 02 2004 : 10:27:56 AM
I sure wish I had that digital camera so you could all see the aluminum delirium around the block! I think I am with Cecelia on this one! Can you imagine living in that house? With all that commotion you'd need to take dramamine to walk through the living room !
Epiphany, I don't think so! More like a hallucination from a mispent youth (not mine!)
with a happy heart |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Dec 01 2004 : 7:04:33 PM
Yipeee!!! I am doin the happy url dance...It worked and the article from nytimes is on there too, Happy Reading!
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Dec 01 2004 : 6:53:49 PM
Bramble you must get a firm grip on reality... These trees are NOT REAL!!!LOL. Yikes I am batting a thousand tonight here is the corrected url...www.aluminumchristmastrees.net More of the trees that never die You take care Bramble, I'd hate to hear you ended up in the ER telling the staff you had an accident because of a huge aluminum Christmas tree
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| bramble |
Posted - Dec 01 2004 : 6:47:46 PM
Girls, girls , girls... I nearly crashed the car tonight and had to
pull over! There in all it's tinsely splendor was a giant revolving tree in the bay window of this house that NEVER has the curtains drawn. The room appeared to be mirrored so that the lights were
were bouncing off all the surfaces and it looked like it was snowing in the house!!! It was like a giant silver revolving sparkling mirage!
It was so bizarre other cars had stopped too! I just hope no one crashes , it's a busy intersection! Not my thing but it sure stopped traffic!!
with a happy heart |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Dec 01 2004 : 6:44:43 PM
I just tried this url and I had previously logged out of the nytimes and it did not work... I am still trying to learn all this computer stuff. I will try to find another source for the article. A couple wrote an expose and photographed aluminum trees and had the history of them. I am sure it can be viewed on Amazon so I'll look that url up...There is another site called www.aluminumtrees.net
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Dec 01 2004 : 6:37:51 PM
Try this link and see if it works... I am signed up for the Times but there are some articles that can be accessed without signing up, hope this is one of them;
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/25/garden/25TREE.html?hp&ex=1101963600&en=cbc629d66a034756&ei=5059&partner=AOL
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| Eileen |
Posted - Dec 01 2004 : 3:28:32 PM
Hi, I tried this link but got a page that wants me to sign up and not an article. Any way to see the article without signing up?
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Nov 30 2004 : 4:33:49 PM
I am loving this conversation girls I have to admit I am "aqua" with envy Sleepless over your aqua metal tree! Too bad your parents recycled it , they are bringing enormous sums on ebay! Here's a link all about the trees that never die... My Mom and I were reminicing over Thanksgiving about our shiny tree and she said sadly she sold it in a garage sale in 1972, but she bought a small 4ft one in 1989 at an auction and offered it to me...I declined her offer. Here's the link on the NYTimes...http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/25/garden/25TREE.html?oref=login
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| bougainvillea blooms |
Posted - Nov 29 2004 : 9:21:25 PM
The aluminum trees were crazy...I think a certain magazine has an article on them this year, but since I never look at M.S. Living I couldn't tell you what it said....
My tree is post-aluminum color wheel era, but its stiff metal pine branches make my fingers sore every time I assemble it. I should use gardening gloves this year...the rosebush kind that go up to my elbows.
The idea of going out and chopping down my own tree always sounded rustically appealing, but as I grew up in Brooklyn in the 70's, the country was Westchester or Long Island. It wasn't going to happen.
I never did try to shock myself with the tree...I could see my son trying it...but we don't have carpet here only wood...but I got a laugh imagining kids trying to see who got the biggest charge out of Christmas!
Jen |
| sleepless reader |
Posted - Nov 29 2004 : 6:26:38 PM
Ah, the aluminum tree! Ours was AQUA!!! My sister and I still wonder about that color choice. Mom always put red and silver balls on it, and of course, there was the color wheel. That was my favorite part! Sadly, my sister and I never realized the shock value of the tree... My parents sent the tree off to recycle/Goodwill many years ago, but the color wheel hung in there for a few more years. I always said I'd only have a live tree, but changed my mind the year our tree dried to fire hazard after being up only about two days. Now we use a "lifelike" artificial and plenty of holly and pine in jars of water just to get the scent of the holidays. If only I could find my old stocking... |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Nov 29 2004 : 5:45:29 PM
I had to laugh Cecilia about your memory of the aluminum tree I remember when my Mom first got that metal tree I ran across the carpet in my slippers unaware I was full of static electicity and touched the "metal branches" and got such a jolt it almost knocked me on my bum Then it got to be a game with all us kids to see who could get the worst and most painful charge from the tree... I guess we got strange kicks in the 60's?
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| Eileen |
Posted - Nov 29 2004 : 4:52:02 PM
So where is the tree now? So funny I didn't like them when they were new and had several friends that got them but this past year my husbands cousin found one on E-Bay and grabbed it. It was new and had never been out of the box. He put it up while his wife was in hospital and surprised her. She loved it!!! You've gotta understand this cousin. She is all about sparkle!!She is a joy to be around and always finds something to give you when you visit that is a sparkle of sorts. She loves all the old rindstone jewelry and has a nice collection of it. She wears it too!
This year I can't wait to see that tree. I bet she finds something wonderful to decorate it with that will not only reflect the colored lights but sparkle as well, like mirrored ornaments or something.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| cecelia |
Posted - Nov 29 2004 : 4:20:07 PM
One year we had to walk to my aunt's house due to an ice storm (it was about 10 blocks in the city). When we got there, she had an aluminum tree with the color wheel rotating under it. We had a hard time staying in the room - it was the most commercialized looking tree I had ever seen. My aunt was alway "into" the latest thing, irregardless of how it looked. I miss her now (she's gone about 5 years), but not the tree!
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
| Sandra |
Posted - Nov 28 2004 : 09:00:40 AM
That should be STARS...hand crochet STARS to put on the tree <lol>!
Sandra @ http://www.thistlecovefarm.com...a grasp on the past & a hold on the future... |
