Yuletide Feeling

There is always something that has to kick start my holiday feeling. It seems I usually start December just cruising along like a regular month. Thanksgiving is past, now here comes winter, Uh Christmas, what is that?

So that was happening this year. I didn't feel like putting up lights and going for the "cut your own" tree just didn't seem like fun. But yesterday we had scheduled the yearly trip to Tridelphia to cut our tree. The morning dawned at 22 degrees and each of our experience has been different out at Tridelphia. One year it was a little rainy, another very snowy, wind has been present a lot too. The nastiness of the weather usually was reflected in the care of selecting a tree with mixed results.

This year, it was beautiful. Sunny, but cool, around 40 degrees. There were a lot of people out to get a tree and this year we ventured across the road to an area that had been maturing the past few years. I was determined to find a decent tree this year as last year's had the crookedest trunk ever in the history of my tree picking. We worked our way through some huge scotch pines into some firs and white pines and nothing was jumping out at us. We decided to cross the road and look over there, but saw an area we hadn't checked on our way down the hill. After some looking around, Shauni pointed out a likely candidate and after a quick family vote, we choose that one, which Shauni later named Gilbert. (?) :)

We cut him down and headed to the shaker, baler. In my research of local tree farms a came across something that probably isn't new, but was something I hadn't seen before. A post stand. They drill a hole in the bottom of the trunk and a piece of the stand goes into that hole. Legs go on the piece and the whole thing sits in a bowl of water. We purchased one of these and had the guys drill the trunk and I have to say, this was the easiest tree erecting I have ever experienced.

This positive experience along with the mandatory (according to Shauni) Christmas music on the radio during the trip seemed to do the trick. We came home and moved the furniture and set up the tree. I applied the lights (my job) and the girls will do the ornaments (their job). I headed outside to finish the outside lights which I had halfheartedly started before heading out for the tree and I actually was feeling in the holiday mood.

Now, I'm not wearing red and green and humming Xmas songs, but I definitely am feeling more Christmasy now. For me this is really more of a seasonal thing. The coming of winter and the turning of the season from continuously darker to lighter. The days will start to get longer and soon it will be spring.

I love all the seasons, but like when the next one has arrived.

Now we need some snow. Today looks like rain though.