Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas trees are a fun part of Christmas. When I was young, our family fell on hard times. Still, we celebrated Christmas in our own way. Dad would go out on Christmas Eve and buy a scrawny tree for a dollar from a vendor in front of the local gas station. We had fun decorating it with tinsel and old fashioned ornaments that were very fragile.

This year, as well as last, I've put up a small fiber optic tree which changes colors and looks pretty in the dark, instead of a full sized one. One reason is because I still don't trust my dog, Rascal, not to do something naughty with the ornaments or lights. Another reason is I can't find a spot for one. I've used up almost every spot in the house and don't know where I'd put a big tree.

The tree pictured here in this blog is in the lobby at the Wellington, a great restaurant in Arlington Heights, Illinois, one of the places where you get the entire meal - soup, salad, main course, plus desert - all in pleasant surroundings, with excellent service. The lobby was so nicely decorated I took advantage of the opportunity to snap several shots there.

I digress. Getting back to trees - I miss having a normal-sized tree in the house for Christmas. Maybe next year I'll break down, put one up and see if it survives. If so, it will be an artificial one I've got stored in the basement, along with various ornaments I've gathered over the years. I've got red ribbon bows also to go on it, along with red wooden cranberry color garland, instead of tinsel.

What about you? Do you have a Christmas tree? If so, what kind, artificial or real? Do you have a certain way you decorate your tree? Please share.