It's Begining to look a lot like Christmas

Chers Amis,

It is starting to look like Christmas around here - even if was a balmy 73 degrees and sunny this afternoon. Yesterday morning we got up early and went looking for a Christmas tree. For the past three years we have gone to a small local tree farm called the Lazy J. The kids adore running through the fields hugging the trees until they find just the right one. Daddy does the cutting, although he did let Pippin carry the saw yesterday and a few small trees may be missing limbs as a result. Big sigh. Once the tree is cut, the owner loads le sapin vert into his wagon and three happy children pile in for a bumpy ride back to the parking lot where there is hot cocoa and cider. The children's favorite part of the tradition is feeding the Lazy J's goats while the tree is trimmed and wrapped for the pilgrimage home.

This year was totally different. Blame it on global warming or a late start tree hunting. It was so warm it felt like early October and the Eastern bluebirds were flitting through the meadow from tree to tree. Definitely not Christmas-like. The girls found a tree with the right "hug," but it was a Leland cypress - not a good match for heavy ornaments and dh's beloved bubble lights. The farm only had a few cut Frazier firs and they were overpriced, too tall and shedding heavily. I would like to say the girls took the news that we would have to go elsewhere to find a tree gracefully, but they didn't. Many tears, tree-clinging and pitched negotiations. We tried another farm to no avail. More tears. More cypresses. No tree. More sighs. Finally, on the way home we passed an old fashioned farmers market where "Mr. Jim" had the perfect fir waiting for us next to the pyramids of hot house tomatoes. Hallelujah!

While the tree enjoyed a long overnight soaking, dh searched the basement and attic for the various and sundry boxes of lights, linens, garland, ornaments, hangings and creches. Five minutes later the entire house was covered with packing materials and decorations. A holiday tornado with little warning. My head hurt and I had to retreat to the kitchen. I do NOT do well with total visual chaos added to the cacophony of loud holiday singing paired with the demo mix from Pippins plastic piano. A few hours and a glass of white wine later, some peace and holiday cheer had settled over the house. A happy sigh.

Tonight we brought the tree in, turned on the Sounds of the Season and later "A Charlie Brown Christmas, " made a pot of Barnie's Santa's White Christmas coffee, opened a box of Godiva chocolate biscuits (from a gift basket) and decorated the tree. It was so lovely that I could almost forget that we had the windows open in December!

-- Marjorie