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O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

December 13th, 2012

We finally have a nice Christmas tree set up in the living room. I prepared for it on Sunday by cleaning the floors and moving all the houseplants upstairs. The plan was to head out on Monday but it was raining. On Tuesday we spent all the daylight hours at appointments and meetings, but ended up with just enough daylight hours to get our tree.
Our Christmas Tree 1
Our Christmas Tree 2
We loaded up in our trusty “wagon”, grabbed our “axe”, and headed out into the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree.  Back to the wetlands we went and the search was on. The beavers didn’t much like our presence, they were slapping their tails on the water to get us to leave. They’re quite amazing creatures, we saw evidence of of some fresh cutting as they’re building a new dam. Nature is truly amazing!
Our Christmas Tree 4
Our Christmas Tree 5
We debated on getting a tall slender one, or a shorter fatter one. After searching high and low, we found the perfect little tree. The short plump one eventually won and Mr Chiots cut it down.
Our Christmas Tree 6
Our Christmas Tree 8
Our Christmas Tree 7
We also harvested a couple smaller trees that will decorate a few other rooms of the house. One will grace the kitchen, one in the dining room and we’ll even put one in the office since we spend so much time in there. Perhaps the chickens would like one in their coop as well!
Our Christmas Tree 9
There’s something wonderful about putting up a Christmas tree. There’s nothing I enjoy more than sitting by the tree with a cup of hot tea reading. Something about the glow of those lights is so cozy and warm.

What kind of tree graces your home: real, artificial, or none?

18 Comments to “O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree”
  1. Brenda on December 13, 2012 at 6:21 am

    Our tree is up and the presents are wrapped, I love Christmas

    Reply to Brenda's comment

  2. Adelina Anderson on December 13, 2012 at 7:21 am

    We have an artificial tree that we purchased 14 years ago. And I believe that we will still have it 14 years from now. I spend the day after Thanksgiving fixing it with electrical tape. Just can’t see the sense in buying a new one. We did get a real tree one year – had to cut the sap clumps off the cat.

    Still love the smell of the real trees though..

    Reply to Adelina Anderson's comment

  3. daisy on December 13, 2012 at 7:21 am

    What a treat being able to grow and harvest your own tree. Doesn’t get much better than that!
    We’ll be getting out Frasier Fir this weekend. Gotta have that aroma in the house or it doesn’t feel like Christmas!
    Looking forward to seeing your lovely trees in your new home.

    Reply to daisy's comment

  4. Kathi Cook on December 13, 2012 at 7:25 am

    Real of course! I think if I couldn’t have a real one,I would just skip the tree altogether. I also decorate with a lot of greens and natural materials. Most of my older house decorations stay in the attic now as I prefer the natural look. It’s great that you can cut down a tree on your property. That must have been fun. I have always wanted a tree in the kitchen decorated with all edibles,but my kitchen is a little too small for that-so I get a rosemary tree every year instead. Hope to see pictures of all your trees sometime. Enjoy the season in your new home!

    Reply to Kathi Cook's comment

  5. Songbirdtiff on December 13, 2012 at 8:42 am

    We have always had an artificial tree until this year, now I could never go back! I had to laugh at the “cutting a sap clump off the cat” comment above…one of our cats has one of those.

    I did discover that having a real tree will ruin you for all Christmas greenery. Fake garland and tiny fake trees just look so….fake! I just cut the lower boughs off the tree and made a big wreath for the living room, took my old one apart, and donated it to goodwill.

    Reply to Songbirdtiff's comment

  6. Jaye on December 13, 2012 at 8:56 am

    I’ve had both and enjoyed them both. Sometimes practicality wins out with an artificial tree. This year I have a lovely real tree.

    Reply to Jaye's comment

  7. kristin @ going country on December 13, 2012 at 9:08 am

    Real. Though every year when I’m putting on and taking off those damn lights, I think wistfully of an artificial tree on which the lights stay all the time.

    Never happen, though. In our house, it will be a real tree or no tree at all, I’m afraid.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  8. Beth K on December 13, 2012 at 9:44 am

    We always get a real tree and I don’t think I could have it any other way. Last year Mike cut a tree from our property, but this year we purchased one from a local tree farm. I wasn’t feeling in the Christmas spirit at all until the tree went up… that really helped! Now I just need some snow!

    Reply to Beth K's comment

  9. susieb on December 13, 2012 at 10:01 am

    I love your story about the beavers! I went to college in Oregon where our mascot was Benny the Beaver so maybe I have more of an affection for them, but that’s so entertaining that they tried to intimidate you! I have a tiny fake tree but also a new cat that will probably try to eat the plastic, so I’m going no-tree this year. But I’ll be staying with my family for the holiday and get to enjoy their real tree, so it all works out!

    Reply to susieb's comment

  10. Jennifer Fisk on December 13, 2012 at 10:08 am

    I have cut Balsams from my own property in the past but this year I purchased one. The only reason I’d ever get an artificial tree is to have the lights already installed but I don’t see that happening any day soon.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  11. Maybelline on December 13, 2012 at 10:19 am

    Fake. Too dry here and trees are too expensive.

    Reply to Maybelline's comment

  12. Kirsten on December 13, 2012 at 10:29 am

    We always had real trees but a few years ago we got a fake one at a garage sale for 10 dollars and I love it! It’s white and ridiculous but when it’s covered in all our homemade ornaments and garlands it looks great. We make 75% of our decorations and ornaments new every year with the kids so its festive and playful and we all love it. And not stringing lights every year is awesome.

    Reply to Kirsten's comment

  13. Peggy on December 13, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Sadly artificial… we cut a tree each year we lived in Alaska and loved it! Our currently property has a single small decorative tree so I don’t foresee any tree cutting in the near future. Maybe when we finally move to the “farm”…. it has almost 60 acres, of which 30 is wooded we have yet to explore. For now I will be happy with my artificial tree knowing it is paid for and that my family loves it!

    Reply to Peggy's comment

  14. Donna B. on December 13, 2012 at 11:10 am

    Hee hee hee! I hope that you’ll maybe dedicate an area of your land to maybe grow some future generations of Christmas trees! There’s a house on the way to the grocery store that has a small area of their land plotted out to grow trees. Every year I see one get cut down – then a new row of seedlings get’s planted! It’s really refreshing to see that happen nearby in a suburban area!

    Each year I get a live potted shrub that I decorate as a ‘tree’, then I plant it after it’s done it’s duty. Thinking of getting a Cypress “Gold Thread” this year… and plant it near my Holly that was last year’s Christmas tree! Lovely yellow evergreen next to a dark green holly with purple stems~ :D

    Reply to Donna B.'s comment

    • Kathi Cook on December 13, 2012 at 10:16 pm

      What a great idea!

      Reply to Kathi Cook's comment

  15. Missy on December 13, 2012 at 12:29 pm

    We have both. A fake one in the basement covered in retro ornaments and crazy colored lights (it looks HORRIBLE with overhead lights on). That one is Shaun’s tree. He can put as many colored light strands on it as he wants. I think this year there are 16 strands. Yikes. And then a real tree upstairs in the living space that I decorate. We love it. Gives the house such a warm feeling.

    Reply to Missy's comment

  16. amy on December 13, 2012 at 12:43 pm

    Real….sometimes cut….sometimes with the ball so we can plant it afterwards……but always real:)

    Reply to amy's comment

  17. KimH on December 14, 2012 at 11:06 am

    We’ve had a fake tree ever since I moved to Ohio.. prior to that, I always went on my own (or my moms) property to find a tree to chop down.

    Funny thing is.. all we had there are cedars.. I didnt realize it, when I always broke out in a rash on my arms that I was allergic to them! ;)
    I am. I thought that was something everyone did when dealing with cedar.. ugh.. haha.. Oh well.. no more cedar for me. ;)

    Reply to KimH's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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