December 06, 2005
Tis getting to be the season
It is hard to believe we were still going to market six weeks ago. December has come, the snow has started, the ground is frozen, and holiday mania begins.
This weekend my father, aka Baba, came up to visit Waverly and little Henry. We decided to go out and get our tree on Sunday, at a neighbor's farm where they sell Christmas trees (the McKays for all you local readers).
Baba had to explain to Waverly that the tree she liked was too small.
Mama Maryellen made the trip with little Henry wrapped inside my big XL down jacket. The little multi-colored fleecy hat thing is Henry.
And Wavy and I inspected our freshly cut tree.
We had a great time! Plus, we had hot chocolate in the warming shed after we got our tree, and we watched birds at the birdfeeder. Turns out the off-season is not so bad!
Posted by peter at December 6, 2005 06:32 AMYour Christmas tree adventure brought back memories. Up until I was 10 years old, each Labor Day weekend my great-uncle Frank Shaw would go up in his pasture and cut down a Christmas tree for our family which he and my father would then wrap in burlap and tie to the front fender of our car. (I'm talking a late 1940's, early 50's style automobile). Once we were back home in Glens Falls, the tree would be buried in wet leaves by the garage until it was time to be "unwrapped" at Christmas. I can recall a few exceptionally dry falls, when my father would "water" the burlap roll buried in the leaves. Rather than spoiling the mystery of Christmas for me, I always thought it a very special present that had been lovingly chosen by my Uncle Frank for all of us to enjoy which we surely did. After his death, going out to buy a tree never had quite the same appeal.
Maxine Long
Posted by: Maxine Long at December 6, 2005 03:13 PMI love your comments Maxine!! I am so glad you and the Shaws are reading the blog!! Thank you for the wonderful stories -- and the wonderful farm!!
Posted by: Maryellen at December 6, 2005 03:50 PMNothing like a fresh cut tree.
Ho, Ho, Ho!!!
Posted by: mike at December 6, 2005 04:59 PMThanks for making me a blog star! It was great to be with you all.
Maryellen and Henry are real troopers, driving over the hilltops on icy roads, and out in the fields chopping trees down, less than 10 days after the big birth date. I admire Waverly's decisivenss: "That's the tree!", and Peter's Herculean strength. Three swipes of the saw and the tree is down!
I love you all!
Posted by: Mike, pgg's dad at December 7, 2005 05:58 AM