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Advent Calendar |
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Blogged Christmas Impressions O Christmas Tree Every tree is different. Every tree has its story. Yes, I'll agree with you that pretty much every Christmas tree looks similar - more or less. I hold on to the thought that each and every tree is different and unique because of the stories, history and emotions encircling it. I was out shoveling snow yesterday…and the day before for that matter. I fucking hate snow. Anyway, when I was finishing up my shoveling yesterday my neighbour and girlfriend for the past few months pulled up and picked a locally grown Christmas tree out of his truck. The tree was pathetic. It was maybe four feet tall, missing more branches than it had and had lost a bunch of its structure in the ride home. The girlfriend pulled it out, plunked it down in the snow, smiled and proudly said "it's our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!" She was very excited. I know this is their first Christmas together. More than likely they had to make the decision to get a tree (the day before he told me that he had JUST bought his first shovel) as it wasn't an automatic thing to do. With the decision made there was probably the discussion of whether to buy an artificial tree, buy a real tree imported from the South, or go find a locally grown tree. Decision made to get a local tree there was then the selection process (I've been out with my dad doing this many many times when I was a kid) which can take anywhere from minutes (closest one to the highway) to hours (I remember putting snowshoes on once and trekking for what felt like hours through the Quebec wilderness to find THE tree before cutting it down and then hauling it back through the snow, onto the car and home). It doesn't matter how magazine-pretty their tree looks. It's THEIR tree - the two of them and holds a lot of importance for that reason alone.
I love my Christmas tree. It may look like every tree you see in people's houses, stores, public squares and offices, but I assure you it isn't the same. Pause and appreciate all the trees you see and let the magic of Christmas enter your creative mind wondering what the story is behind that particular one. Charles - RambleMan Tonight, Christmas Present (Ghost of). This morning, Christmas Presents (lots of). In a not-altogether-unsuccessful attempt to get in to the Christmas Spirit (I sort of missed the run-up, being in my hole and writing so it felt like Christmas rather came out of nowhere) I decided it might be fun to read a chapter a night of "A Christmas Carol", starting two nights ago. The first night, it was to Maddy and her friend, who put up with it stoically. Last night, with the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past, I had a lot more listeners, including Holly, who is knitting me a scarf. Quite looking forward to tonight's appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Present. Reading aloud changes the way you relate to a book -- it occurred to me that I'd never realised that Scrooge's childhood would have been in the late eighteenth century, for example. I've never read Dickens aloud before, and am fascinated both by the way he occasionally goes on too long, belabours a point, repeats it sir and then goes over it once again, ensuring that his readers understand, comprehend, and are entirely satisfied with the points that he makes, points that each reader needs to understand, etc... but also in the way he'll use economies to make subtler points. There are many places he uses words like a miniaturist, conjuring scenes and emotions in small spaces, saying a lot with a little. Neil Gaiman - Journal |
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My trees is artificial, purchased at Wal-Mart, covered in ornaments also purchased at Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire. Have I mentioned that I have 600 - SIX HUNDRED - lights covering my tree? I love lights. I don't need anything else on my tree. Surely my tree doesn't hold the emotional attachment of my neighbours spending their first Christmas as a couple together. Mine holds the emotion and significance of it being my first Christmas in my own house. To me the tree wasn't just a 'this year' purchase, but an investment for many years to come. Sure, I bought a cheap one - it is only up for a few weeks a year, but I got a higher-end cheap Wal-Mart tree. Shuddup - it makes me happy. My tree means something different than my neighbours is what I'm getting at. The burn victim angel and some ornaments also purchased in Germany in 1966 are in the mail to me from my parents. I'm hoping the package will arrive by Christmas Day - Thursday, but I'm also not holding my breath.
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