Douglas Vs. Frazier
The title of this post would seem to suggest that I'm about to discuss HBO's most recent Heavyweight Boxing Title Fight.
But no, this post has nothing to do with boxing and everything to do with Christmas trees.
I finally bought my Christmas tree last night. So it is officially Christmas in my house. First off, I have to explain why my tree went up so late this year. I do love Christmas decorations, lights, and all that holly and mistletoe. But I'm just not that inclined to decorate right after Thanksgiving as many are want to do. My mother-in-law lives for the moment when she can pull out all her angels, singing snowmen, Santas, tinsel, garland, and reindeer centerpiece and bring a festive air to her South Florida home. She even decorates her work place. I just don't have the zeal to undertake decorating that soon. I work much better under pressure. Of course there were some car issues last week that prevented the procurement of the Christmas tree. And I went out of town this past weekend, so again no opportunity to get the tree.
I will also offer another excuse, although it really had nothing to do with the delay. My birthday falls on December 18th-that's exactly one full week before Christmas. My mom, bless her sweet heart, never wanted me to feel like my birthday was hijacked by Christmas. So, my family never put the Christmas tree up until after my birthday. This practice could be good and bad. The good is that our trees didn't get brown like the post-Thanksgiving Tree Putter Uppers who have been sweeping and vaccuuming needles for the past month. Also, when you wait until the week before Christmas the trees are much cheaper. However, the bad side is that there isn't much selection. So that explains why my Christmas tree this year is a little sad. Mind you, it's not a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. But the bottom quarter of the tree has no needles-more room for presents! And the limbs are so droopy that the ornaments had a real hard time trying to hang on. But once the lights are on and the tinsel glistens, it's not a bad tree afterall.
In picking out the tree, there is the all important decision of what kind of fir tree to get. Most vendors offer either the Frazier fir or the Douglas fir. The Frazier is characterized by shorter needles and more pronounced chunky branches. Whereas, the Douglas has much longer softer needles and more willowy limbs. I have to say that I'm partial to the Douglas. I think the Fraziers are more popular, and according to my mother-in-law (who knows everything) the Fraziers are much more beautiful. Now if you detected a little snideness in that last sentence you would be wrong, very wrong! My Dad always loved the Douglas fir trees, so that is what my family always got. My Dad died over 3 years ago, so in his memory I choose the Douglas fir as my family's official Christmas tree. And last year when I shared this fond Christmas memory with my mother-in-law, I was answered with that comment that would seem to suggest that Frazier firs are the only Christmas tree worthy to possess the title of most beautiful tree. I have this great strategy for dealing with these seemingly insensitive comments from her-it's called biting the tongue. Needless to say, I need much Ora-gel when she's in town due to this tactic.
I wanted to put lights up on the outside of my new house this year, but I don't own a ladder-yet. I did buy these clippy things that are advertised to be ladder free light hanger uppers. You're supposed to use a broom handle to attach them to your gutters. I tried one and miserably failed and did not persist in attempting this again. Besides, if I put them up now they probably wouldn't come down until July. And while I'm on the subject of Christmas yard decorations, what's up with the proliferation of blow up Christmas decorations? Maybe I hadn't noticed them before, but I have seen Snowmen, Santas, Reindeer, Snow Globes, and the ever popular Homer Simpson Santa perched on lawns just waving in the Christmas cheer. Oh, and don't forget the mechanical life sized Santas that stand guard on the lawn.
Whatever Christmas decorating you choose and whenever you choose to do it, just remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What looks like a huge tacky camoflagued painted monster truck wrapped in yards of blinking Christmas lights with lighted reindeer propped up with wires to simulate the pulling of it and Moose Santa sitting in the cab is beautiful to someone.
Be sensitive and deck the halls, not each other....Fa la la la la la la la la
But no, this post has nothing to do with boxing and everything to do with Christmas trees.
I finally bought my Christmas tree last night. So it is officially Christmas in my house. First off, I have to explain why my tree went up so late this year. I do love Christmas decorations, lights, and all that holly and mistletoe. But I'm just not that inclined to decorate right after Thanksgiving as many are want to do. My mother-in-law lives for the moment when she can pull out all her angels, singing snowmen, Santas, tinsel, garland, and reindeer centerpiece and bring a festive air to her South Florida home. She even decorates her work place. I just don't have the zeal to undertake decorating that soon. I work much better under pressure. Of course there were some car issues last week that prevented the procurement of the Christmas tree. And I went out of town this past weekend, so again no opportunity to get the tree.
I will also offer another excuse, although it really had nothing to do with the delay. My birthday falls on December 18th-that's exactly one full week before Christmas. My mom, bless her sweet heart, never wanted me to feel like my birthday was hijacked by Christmas. So, my family never put the Christmas tree up until after my birthday. This practice could be good and bad. The good is that our trees didn't get brown like the post-Thanksgiving Tree Putter Uppers who have been sweeping and vaccuuming needles for the past month. Also, when you wait until the week before Christmas the trees are much cheaper. However, the bad side is that there isn't much selection. So that explains why my Christmas tree this year is a little sad. Mind you, it's not a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. But the bottom quarter of the tree has no needles-more room for presents! And the limbs are so droopy that the ornaments had a real hard time trying to hang on. But once the lights are on and the tinsel glistens, it's not a bad tree afterall.
In picking out the tree, there is the all important decision of what kind of fir tree to get. Most vendors offer either the Frazier fir or the Douglas fir. The Frazier is characterized by shorter needles and more pronounced chunky branches. Whereas, the Douglas has much longer softer needles and more willowy limbs. I have to say that I'm partial to the Douglas. I think the Fraziers are more popular, and according to my mother-in-law (who knows everything) the Fraziers are much more beautiful. Now if you detected a little snideness in that last sentence you would be wrong, very wrong! My Dad always loved the Douglas fir trees, so that is what my family always got. My Dad died over 3 years ago, so in his memory I choose the Douglas fir as my family's official Christmas tree. And last year when I shared this fond Christmas memory with my mother-in-law, I was answered with that comment that would seem to suggest that Frazier firs are the only Christmas tree worthy to possess the title of most beautiful tree. I have this great strategy for dealing with these seemingly insensitive comments from her-it's called biting the tongue. Needless to say, I need much Ora-gel when she's in town due to this tactic.
I wanted to put lights up on the outside of my new house this year, but I don't own a ladder-yet. I did buy these clippy things that are advertised to be ladder free light hanger uppers. You're supposed to use a broom handle to attach them to your gutters. I tried one and miserably failed and did not persist in attempting this again. Besides, if I put them up now they probably wouldn't come down until July. And while I'm on the subject of Christmas yard decorations, what's up with the proliferation of blow up Christmas decorations? Maybe I hadn't noticed them before, but I have seen Snowmen, Santas, Reindeer, Snow Globes, and the ever popular Homer Simpson Santa perched on lawns just waving in the Christmas cheer. Oh, and don't forget the mechanical life sized Santas that stand guard on the lawn.
Whatever Christmas decorating you choose and whenever you choose to do it, just remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What looks like a huge tacky camoflagued painted monster truck wrapped in yards of blinking Christmas lights with lighted reindeer propped up with wires to simulate the pulling of it and Moose Santa sitting in the cab is beautiful to someone.
Be sensitive and deck the halls, not each other....Fa la la la la la la la la
posted by amyd | 10:58 AM
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