GAME ON CHARLIE BROWN

That's right, this tree beats anything Charlie Brown can come up with... and then some! This little ole tree has quite a history to say the least.

Everyone seemed to think that I would have a hard time celebrating Christmas this year but I had other ideas. I looked forward to finding the perfect little 'real' tree to put in my new digs. Thanksgiving weekend I began my search - but there were no places to be found that sold real trees. The following weekend I set out once again on my search - still no place to be found that was selling trees yet. The next, and third weekend in a row, I set out once again. This was becoming the greatest 'Charlie Brown' Christmas tree search ever! After driving hither and yon (who the hell makes up those sayings anyway) I finally spied a place that was selling real trees, up ahead on the left. I put my blinker on, waiting for the traffic flow to break so that I could pull into the nursery. Traffic became lighter and I had plenty of opportunity to make my left hand turn, time and again I had plenty of time to make my turn. But I just couldn't make that left hand turn. As a matter of fact I never did make that left hand turn. I returned home in sort of a funk.

The next day I awoke with a mission on my mind. Find the little fake tree that I had stored in no less than a dozen places during the past two years. Originally it had been a cute little 'fake' tree given to me by a former client. It collapsed into two pieces and had wire limbs. Now picture those cute little wire limbs being crushed under a kayak; next being placed on an overhead shelf in the garage where dog crates were thrown on top for another year; then being placed in a storage space under the garage where it rested safely for about two days before a huge load of kindling was unceremoniously thrown on top of it. After visiting all the above mentioned spots where I believed the little tree to be - I soon realized the challenge of my undertaking but it was now more than a mission, it was becoming an obsession!

I did find the tree eventually. But what a pathetic little tree it was. Every limb had been crushed, and twisted every which way but I didn't care. From the very beginning I knew this tree would be the best in many ways. I spent a lot of time choreographing each limb and then began my search for ornaments. I had no problem finding Christmas decorating boxes in my newly organized attic. I brought down one of my boxes and some things that had belonged to Barbara. The first one I pulled from Barbara's stuff was a beautiful gold metal star ornament with the letter 'HOPE' on the front. So I'm thinking you can all guess what I did for the next half hour.

I've never had a 'fake' Christmas tree but this one is perfect, for this time, this place, this Christmas. No other place but this place, no other time but this time... enjoy!