I am thinking back before the pane-pain on Arnold Avenue to when we had our tree by the windows overlooking the backyard. It was as far away from the fireplace as possible. That was a good thing, because when Grandpa put the box and all the packing from cousin's Judy's doll into the fireplace, the fire escaped the pit and the flames shot up and out. I can hear Daddy hollering, "EVERYONE OUT!" I am happy to report the fire was confined and the only real damage was a badly scorched birch mantel. Judy's permanently 'measles doll' was okay.
Although we can control the size of the tree we buy to fit the spot, it doesn't always come out right. Trees at Christmas in Northern Minnesota where often snow packed and iced. The tree had to sit at least a day just to thaw. Our trees were generally big; they were a thank you from a sub contractor who dug basements for homes and buildings the construction company built.
There was a beautiful tree warming in the garage the Christmas of 1958. Who would have known that when we got home from school, the tree would already be decorated. Mother had flocked it in pink, attached pink lights, and pink bulbs. It was majestic. And on Christmas Eve, we tried to figure out just which bulb had burned out on one of many seven string lines
Ever do that?
Between the tree on Oakland Park and the tree of 1958, the tree was a family affair.
Daddy hung the lights
We put on the balls
Greg and I would see how far we could toss the tinsel
We would be relieved of the tinsel trimming
Mother would straighten the tinsel and hang it piece by piece.
Tom 's mother did the same thing
When the kids were little, we went to a tree farm and cut down the tree.
It was picked by a rotation of family members
The trees were always the most beautiful ever
They were pruned as they grew
Ryen helped saw the tree down
Bud helped saw the tree down
Rachel helped saw the tree down
It was tradition to get the tree on Thanksgiving
And father put on the lights
We all put on balls
Each of us had a new ornament each year
There was no tinsel
Rachel and Bud fought hard to see who could get their ornament the highest
Bud's bird almost always won
Rachel had a light connected near the bottom so she could read under the tree
The placing of the tree varied from year to year
One year we actually tied the tree to the wall
The last of the needles were picked up on Easter
My grandparents didn't always have a tree
When they did, it was aluminum with a color wheel
It sat in the corner by the television
Grandma Mae had a little artificial tree with red berries
She decorated it with icicles made from the strips
of metal which was removed while opening coffee cans
She did not have lights
It didn't seem to matter what size or shape the trees where
They all represented the same thing
Fast forward to Fargo
We have an artificial tree
Gone are the 300 white lights of the past
Replaced with green rice lights
Each year we have a new ornament
There is no tinsel
The tree goes up around the 10th of December
The tree is undressed after the new year
The tree is not put away
it is moved into the dining room
The only decorations left on the tree are
Two red birds; one for Shilpa and one for Bud.
Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How loyal are your leaves/needles!
You're green not only in the summertime,
No, also in winter when it snows.
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How loyal are your leaves/needles!
Sweet Memories to all!
e
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