by Rhonda Peterson
I think it was Doctor Seuss who said, "Trim the tree with rotten socks, goo-goo balls and cotton rocks" but I'm not sure. It certainly sounds like something he would have written or else I'm going a little goofy from typing too much.
My traditional Christmas tree used to be a real Balsam Fir gaily decorated with large multicolored lights, silver garland, an assortment of balls, and several art projects from the children.
Today, times have changed. As I grow older it is more difficult to haul a real tree from the forest or nearest tree lot into the house. It is even more difficult to keep the carpet swept of falling needles. And encasing the dead dry brown tree in a sheet and hauling it out of the house to a disposal site after the holidays is out of the question. So I've opted for a small artificial tree I keep decorated and covered with a large plastic bag in the basement. All I have to do is fetch it from the bowels of the basement and plug it in. I think it's next to the furnace filters or bird cage.
Let's see, the candy canes will have to be recycled as they would be toxic by now. Most of the lights are still working and those that don't can go against the wall so no one will notice. The star at the top is pointing down so I'd better adjust it and wipe off the soot. I doubt if the star of the East looked quite like this little scrawny thing. Four balls...it only has four balls! Why look at that! It only has four branches left! Maybe the rest fell off as I was trying to get the darn tree in the basement last year! I'll have to improvise. I think I can find those old deer antlers and fashion some type of branch. Where'd those cookie cutters go? Maybe I can use paper clips and hang some post-it notes on there to remind me to buy a new tree and more decorations next year!
Copyright © The Ramblings, December 2002
Reprinted with permission of The Ramblings