Oh Tannenbaum

This weekend, many people will be Christmas tree shopping.

Just the words conjure up scenes from the movie A Christmas Story, which is mandatory of you have not seen it yet.

It has been many years since I bought a tree. I own a fake tree that I don’t always put up , But I do have memories of tree shopping as a child.

My father had a friend who sold Fireworks in the summer, Pumpkins in the fall, and Christmas trees in the winter. My father is the consummate salesman, (he can sell snow to an Eskimos) so he was always paid a few bucks to help out selling sparklers or pumpkins or fir trees.

My mother would bundle up both me and my sister and turn us over to my father. I will always remember the excitement of getting there after dark, the trees all in rows, with white lights criss-crossing above each column, illuminating the area and setting off the pungent smell of pine with the heat of their bulbs.

Since my father worked there, we got the choice place by the fire and drank hot apple cider until we were ill.

Our dad would then dress his arm with a 2 inch thick glove and start holding up trees for us to look at. Of course as kids they all looked great to us, but he always found the “bald spot” and rejected one after the other. After 20 or so trees, he would get tired and find one that was perfect, except for the bald spot, which did not matter since the tree went in the corner anyway. Usually it ended up being the first or second tree we had looked at in the beginning. So the new house guest was carefully tied to the top of the car and brought home, to live out the rest of its life being loved and adored. Not a bad way to go.

Things are a little different today. I never got around to having kids of my own and have had too many semi permanent lives to create any sense of family or tradition for any of the holidays. Therefore, I have spent many a Christmas at other relatives’ homes, the welcome observer to their traditions, listening to their Christmas tree excursions by the fire, which keeps the cold at bay for a while.

May you all keep your traditions close to your hearts, and find that perfect tree this year, bald spot and all.

A Fun Little Respite

Whew! FINALLY finished moving all the stuff into Hilda's house and even have it organized. Yes, I managed to fit the elephant into the shoebox, at least that is what it is like here, though it is kind of interesting, it feels like a dorm room in a way.

Tom still has to find a home for the Mustang and is working on that right now so I thought I would take a little breather and do something that makes me feel normal again...create a post! Unfortunately, my creative juices are not flowing too well as of late, but I found this kinda cool personality thing the other day and thought it might be a fun thing for you to look at during your 5 minute respite. I think it is pretty accurate, at least for me (I am a Poplar Tree). Please email me if you wish, and let me know what tree you are and if it describes you accurately or not. I will not post any mail I get, and you can always comment and I will not post that either, if you ask me to keep it private.

WHAT TREE DID YOU FALL FROM?


Find your birthday and then find your tree. Scroll down for a description of the tree. This is fun and somewhat accurate. Then send it to your friends, including the one that sent it to you, so they can find out what tree you fell from, but don't forget to change the subject line to your tree.

> Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree    
> Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
> Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
> Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
> Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
> Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
> Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
> Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
> Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree
> Mar 21 (only) -Oak Tree
> Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
> Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
> Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
> Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
> May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
> May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
> May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
> Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
> Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree
> Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
> Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
> Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
> Jul 15 to Jul 25 -Elm Tree
> Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
> Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
> Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
> Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
> Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
> Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree
> Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
> Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
> Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
> Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
> Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
> Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
> Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
> Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
> Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
> Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree


TREES (in alphabetical order)

 > Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, se! sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.
> Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.
> Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).
> Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.
> Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt, likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.
> Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.
> Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and affection! n, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.
> Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.
> Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence.
> Fir tree (Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.
> Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.
> Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.
> Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.
> Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.
> Oak Tree (Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.
> Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.
> Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft.
> Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.
> Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egotism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate! , emotional, good company, does not forgive.
> Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.
> Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.