When we were growing up, every year at Christmas time, the boys (Herman and Fred) would go out to find "the perfect Christmas tree". As our options of evergreens were limited, it was usually a pine, and as with all natural trees, it was difficult to find just the right shape and size. They had even resorted to climbing to the top of a taller pine and cutting off the top (just like in Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree - one of Carl's favorite books) and bringing it home.
Marty was a self-proclaimed Christmas tree expert and it was rare for a tree to meet with her immediate approval: "It's got a big hole in the middle... ", "It's too scrawny", or "This is the worst tree, ever!"
The boys had gotten wise to her disapproval and had developed their own plan of action: they brought TWO trees. One, the better though disappointing front-runner, and the second, used as a "filler". They would find the appropriate length branch from the second tree to fill-in the empty space(s) on the first. They drilled a hole in the trunk, fitted the branch, and wired it into place. At this point it may be deemed "better", but final judgement and approval was deferred until the tree was in it's proper place and dressed in all of it's finery.
We used spray-can-snow to flock the tree, then while it rested, got down the big Mayflower Movers box from the attic. What fun to pull all of the old decorations out, and, after lights were put on, hang the ornaments. (We used blue lights for many years, but they were relegated to surrounding the front window to frame the tree when the newer, smaller and more colorful modern lights came out.) Of course, the blue foil star with the angel figure centered in it on a cloud of fiberglass had to be placed at the top. Once the ornaments were in place, the long strands of tinsel were placed, or flung - though this method was largely looked down upon and the flung icicles often had to be "fixed" to hang perfectly. * The icicles were made with lead, but we were blissfully oblivious to the dangers of such.
We stepped back to survey the tree and to await the final proclamation.
We held our breath, until it was finally declared by Marty as,
"... the prettiest Christmas tree we've ever had!"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Every year we pull out our pre-lit, perfectly formed artificial (due to allergies) tree. We put it together, spread the branches and arrange them into a "natural tree" shape and hold our collective breath as we plug it in to see if the lights still work. Our current tree has a lovely twinkle effect, only an occasional light will blink like a star that is peeking through the branches.
Our ornaments are a hodge-podge of old family (Brandl) heirlooms, fragile crystal and glass balls, collected gift ornaments, and the ornaments that the kids made over the years in school. No color coordinated, themed, be-ribboned or sophisticated tree for us.
Our tree is transformed into a memory-evoking journey of our marriage, our kids' childhoods, Christmas's past, and mementos of places we/they've been.
Special ornaments are hung by certain people, others have special placement, but each is unique in its own way. The kids laugh uproariously at the "artistic license" they took as kindergartners and grade-schoolers with many of the hand-made ornaments, with the most "special" of these relegated to the back of the tree "so you can see them when you are going upstairs".
It is a magical, beautiful tree - in fact, it is "the prettiest Christmas tree we've ever had!"
~*~The tree (a gift from Janet and Paul) in the apartment - we still call it "Grammy's apartment" - is up and lit at night. Mommy always said she would think of Janet when she looked at it... now I think of Janet AND Mommy, and their joyous Christmas celebration in heaven.~*~
2 comments:
Daddy started the white spray-on flocking and blue lights because it resembled the moonlight on the snowy blue spruces along the riverbank in Grandma's yard. I remember how we had to stuff a small wad of newspaper into each socket of the light string, artfully place the string on the tree, then spray, spray, spray, until it was completely white. At this point, each wad of paper was removed and replaced with a blue light bulb. After all the old decorations, some from post WWII era and some handmade, were on the tree, and, yes, the beautiful blue angel-star was in place, when the tree was turned on in the dark room-- now THAT was a BLUE spruce, and it did look like a snowy Michigan tree in the moonlight. Perhaps a little reminder of home for Daddy and Mommy in the far away South (Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama.) Realize they were both in their early thirties or younger.
There were some non-blue tree years, too. One year Grandpa Pretzer came to Ft. Worth- maybe '53 or '54, Daddy must have been on TDY. There was a small tree( 2 1/2 feet tall) on top of a bedside table. Mom had a photo I can see in my mind's eye right now.
Then there was the year in Altus that Mom was pregnant with Annie, and totally worn out from keeping up with all of us (four under 8 years of age), getting rady for the holiday and Daddy was in California for B-52 training. We were living in the trailer with aluma-room across from the park. Mommy took us downtown in Altus (not too long after we had moved there in October) to get a tree. After the struggle to get the tree and everyone back in the car, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel and wept, one of the few times we ever saw her do that. But we got the tree home and up, and Daddy came home for Christmas to complete our family. This was the year Marty wanted to pat all the bunny-shaped "animal" cookies in our annual cookie baking. Sweet memories.
Thanks for adding those memories, Linda.
Post a Comment