Our Tree

First off, yes the party was great, the house amazing and the food fantastic, all with a fun group of people. Staying true to our tradition, we had a mix of people from different groups of friends and places. All in all it was a great party. I usually don’t get to talk to everyone much as I’m running around trying to make sure everyone has a great time but this year, with it running a little later, I tried to mingle a bit more.

We woke up around 7:30 and I ran the chaffing pans back to the restaurant that provided the food. Then it was a quick shower and time to gas up the truck to go cut down our Christmas tree. You see our friends earlier in the week, picked up 3 permits from the forest service to cut some trees. Two for them and one for us. We took two cars, or a suburban and a truck, and headed up to the mountains. About an hour later we were in the high country back in the woods getting out of our vehicles to go find the perfect tree. We went one way and our friends the other. It wasn’t long until we found what we thought would be the perfect tree for our family room. It’s just tall enough, just wide enough and overall is just perfect! Our friends packed a great picnic lunch and we all ate by the truck after cutting down our trees. As we were eating a jefferson County Sheriff came driving up in his 4 wheel drive and stopped to give the kids a sticker and then right behind that was an older lady on her horse all decorated with Christmas  decorations and an old bank bag hanging from the saddle filled with lollipops. She trotted up and gave the kids all a sucker and we took their picture by the horse. Then it was off for the hour drive home.

We put it up and I told the misses that even though our  artificial spinning tree, with lots and lots of ornaments collected over years and years, looks fantastic, I like our freshly cut, real tree the best. We have a few lights on it but nothing else so far. The branches, being real, wouldn’t hold many of our ornaments but I think we’re going to string popcorn and put some homemade ornaments on it like they did 100 years ago. I’ll have to have the misses take a picture when it’s all finished and put it on the blog.

Next up was the neighborhood progressive dinner where 6 houses all serve a different course and the entire neighborhood goes from house to house. Not everyone participates as some people don’t like some people. We usually have another commitment or are too tired to join in bit this year the boys, especially the youngest, wanted to go. So off we went. We arrived at the first house just as they were getting ready to go to the second house as the misses had the time wrong. I made it to two houses then slipped away and went home while Mom and the boys continued on for the next 2 hours from house to house. I was just too tired and after a couple of houses had seen enough of the neighbors.

It snowed last night, finally, even though only an inch or two. It’ll be cold today and then warm up in the middle of the week. I’m almost through with all my orders that I need to wrap up the year but have a couple of stragglers.

Oh yea, here’s a comment from Grandma Annette,

So time to go, hope everyone is well, take care and have a great week.