Here's the tree!

As I said, when we went out to get our tree, it was a warm and sunny day.  Here's DH (wearing a sweater I knitted for him ) discussing the virtues of this tree.  We decided it was too wimpy. Usually we get a Douglas  Fir because he likes them, but this year was my turn and we got a Noble fir.  I adore the way they smell, and the branches are strong enough to hold heavy ornaments.  I have collection of Margaret Furlong porcelain angels that I hang on the tree every year, and with Noble Firs, I can hang the ornaments clear out on the end of the boughs.

Usually, too, we get a tree that's about 6 feet tall, but the way we have the house set up this year, there's no room for a big tree.  Instead, we got one about four foot tall and put it on a table behind the sofa and right in front of the window.  It looks so NICE from outside, all twinkly and bright.

So this is the tree we settled on.  DH is looking further back into the acres and acres of Christmas trees saying, "Are you sure this is the one?We just got here."  Really, it doesn't take me that long to look at a Christmas tree any more.  It's not like they are all that different.  Used to be, when we went out and got a wild tree, you had to search and search, but Christmas trees are groomed and trimmed to a fare-the-well on the farm, and you just can't find any ugly ones.  DH dropped to one knee, whipped that saw into place, and five minutes later we were carrying the tree over to the shaker and baler.  The folks who owned the farm said we could just leave it and the boys would be by with the tractor and flatbed but geese, we were right there, and even I am capable of carrying half of a four foot high tree.

And here it is, set up and decorated.  Lots of the ornaments are hanging inside, sparkling out at you when the lights are on.  I decorate mostly with angels, hearts and birds, then fill in with colored balls.  This year, with the smaller tree, no fill in needed.  Though I may figure out a way to work some more in as the season progresses.  Maybe some red ribbons to add a shot of color?

The kitties are old hands at this indoor tree thing.

I remember one year, though - I was a little kid, too little to go tree-hunting with Dad and the big boys.  They brought back a huge, thick, bushy cedar tree and set it up in the playroom.  The family cat was going mad trying to sneak up into the tree.  Finally, when Mom was about half done decorating, she shrieked and jumped back. There was a small owl deep inside the tree and he had had just about enough for one day, so he snapped at her.  Dad put on heavy gloves and grabbed the little guy, took him outside and released him.  Not every family gets a Christmas owl.

As for the Create your own element game, you guys are peerless!

•  teeveescreenium-that which renders all other elements drooling and useless only to be conquered by commercialonium.

   
• At 1:53 AM ,  Rose Lefebvre said...
  Felinesium--(fe-line-EE-see-um)has the element symbol PURR.
  Felinesium is light-weight, moves through the air with a breeze, and when moistened will create a hacking sound. If it is near canines it has an unusual reaction--it makes a hissing sound. This element can be a nuisance when in abundance because it clings to just about everything--clothing, furniture, blankets, carpeting. When found in large clumps, it feels soft and silky. At the present time, there is no known use for this element.
  It is related to the element dustbunnium (dust-bun-ee-um) which shares similar features and is often seen moving across floors and under furniture in households. This element has a unique feature that its beginning or source has not been discovered, but scientists are still searching.

   
• At 5:28 AM ,  Tim Young said...
  Fartainium : A highly combustable, heavy gas with an odor similar to that of decaying bodies.

   
• At 7:34 AM ,  Dave Daniels said...
  Queertanium - A precious metal, highly prized for its lightweight and malleable qualities.
  Not to be confused with Penisium, though.

   
• At 9:15 AM ,  mplanck said...
  Fantasmin; a rare odorless, colorless gas. Once inhaled, it can launch biological entities into realms unknown to the mundane consciousness. Unsympathetic scientists call it hallucinogenic. Alice