Christmas Prep

As has been the tradition for at least the last ten years, the weekend after Thanksgiving is the time to get the Christmas tree put up.  This year I really wanted to move the location of the tree from the back corner of the house, to the front of the family room.  Ideally, I would have been able to put it in front of the front window so you could see the lights with the shade down.  Unfortunately, the tree from the last few years was just way too big (wide) to fit.  So this year, while shopping for supplies for the Indian Invite at Sam’s Club, I saw a tree that was thinner, and thought we could possibly fit that one in front of the window, or at the very least slide it into the front corner of the room, which would also help with the heat in the room and not prevent the thermostat from turning the heat on in the house.  It was also pre-lit, so I thought, great, I am NOT going to go nuts this year and put 2000 lights on the tree because it takes too long, gets the room too hot, and totally jacks the electric bill for December.  Also, if it is already lit, then I won’t need to do anything other than put on the ornaments. 

After getting it home and trying to rearrange the furniture in the room, I determined it wasn’t possible to put the tree in the front of the room (BOOOO!).  Unfortunately, our furniture is just too large.  So we need new furniture in addition to moving the tree (actually I have known that we needed new furniture for some time).  So this means that we need to put the tree in the back corner once again, slide the dining room table against the wall, and move the chest/hutch in the basement; just what I was trying to avoid. 

Once I got things moved and the tree in place and plugged in, both Kris and the girls said there weren’t enough lights on it to view the ornaments.  So then before the decorating could begin, I had to run out and get some more lights to wrap around the branches, though I didn’t do nearly the job I usually do with wrapping them around to make sure every branch has a light.  And instead of the regular mini lights, I had to find LEDs, and they had to be a particular color, Warm White, so that they matched with the “pre-lit” lights that were already in the tree.  This year the total of lights is 1600, 600 pre-lit lights and 1000 on strings that were wrapped around, which is still less than normal. 

The only thing I don’t like is the glow from the tree.  They just don’t have the same warm, yellowish, golden glow to them.  Instead the light coming off the tree has a slight bluish tint, and it looks more sanitized.  It just doesn’t feel the same.  Maybe next year I’ll just quit putting up a tree at all and plan on going to visit my parents in Florida and not worry about who wants to go, or who wants to be back in Wisconsin when.  It’ll just be much easier.  Just call me Scrooge!  Humbug!