It's All About The Tree

Your tree might be wild and wacky or more traditional.









Which ever way you choose to decorate your Christmas tree, have fun doing it. 
Don't fret, panic or get tied in knots. It's once a year and only with you for a few weeks at most. Once a few presents are under it and the lights get turned on, every Christmas tree becomes beautiful.


I'm living with Christmas trees at the moment. It's a 9-5, 7 days a week job up until Christmas Eve. I look at a lot of trees and hear a lot of stories about peoples tree habits.

Some people come as couples and whisper and touch gently, choosing delicately. They are sweet and giggle a bit. They choose in about 15-20 minutes, looking at maybe three different trees.


Some people come by themselves, usually the wife, and she hums and ha's, hands on hips, looking critical because she is the one who will be looking at it everyday until it gets taken down and chucked on the bonfire. She looks at maybe eight different trees and can take up to half hour to pick one tree.


The well married couple that comes are pleasant, aren't really paying attention to the trees that we are showing them until they spot the tree being showed to another person then they instantly want that tree! Pleasant couple becomes competitive couple. They start following other people around and watch as trees are brought out and displayed. When one tree is discarded, they swoop and buy. We are happy to see them go.


The man comes. He is husband, he has instructions, he has a measuring tape! He doesn't need our help and he will take it with him; no delivering. We like him.


The woman in Gucci boots comes in. We all hide. She will want to look at all the trees that are over 9 feet tall. She will want it perfect and will make us dig through a pile of wet, freshly cut trees forever until she gets just the right one. She will complain about the mud in the yard, the pine needles clinging to her trouser bottoms, the cold, the fact that her gardener will make a mess putting it in her house even though her cleaning lady will be the one sweeping up the needles. She will decorate the lower branches and have staff to do the higher ones. She will want it delivered yesterday. 

The families are the funniest. They all want different trees, different sizes and shapes and are super critical of each others choices. They all say 'no' to mom's choice. They have a warm drink and look at decorations and stands and lights and all agree on a big wreath for the door with a red ribbon. They have a nice time and usually leave,having bought two trees. Even if they want the trees delivered by the weekend, they had a good time and the fun rubs off on us and we are happy to oblige.  


The couple that fight. They have brought their troubles with them and have no qualms about public displays of...non-adoration. There is a lot of finger pointing and jabs about mother in-laws, egg nog consumption and dirty dishes. They often want a large tree, a status symbol to their fained happiness perhaps. Sometimes we give them a strip of ribbon and send them out into the tree plantation by themselves to sort it all out. They come back half an hour later,visibly relieved, having picked the perfect tree and settled their marital life for the moment. We wave them off, forgetting the public tiff but expecting our driver to get  tip when he delivers their tree two days later.

The very best is the eight second picker. She comes in has a quick scan of the trees,points to the first tree in the line, rips off the tag,pays and bam, done and dusted. We net it load it and she's off. And we're on to the next one.


Maybe it is all bout the tree. It sets the mood. It enlightens us for the holiday. 


Happy holidays everyone.