Texas Christmas Tree

In Graham, you have to go to the gas station to get a Christmas tree. Can you believe that! The Kiwana Club used to sale trees as a fundraiser but the expense of getting the trees here and the amount they had to charge to compensate for the trees they didn’t sale ended up being about $150 for each tree so they stopped that fundraiser a few years ago. A Lowes opened for business about an hour and a half drive from here—they sale trees for $60 each so most people just stop by Lowes on their way home from Christmas shopping in Ft. Worth.

Luckily, after 10 years of adjustment, my parents/family are used to our hippie ways and are even becoming a little hippie themselves. (I, by the way, do not classify us as hippie—but have been called as much by people who will remain unnamed who have joined our family recently. Did I mention that my sister just got married? That is her husband there, he just joined our family recently. More about that later.)

Anyhoo, where was I? Oh, hippies, buy local, organic—do it yourself rather than rely on the system and the chain stores to provide, that’s right. Douglas firs don’t grow in Texas. We have cedar trees here. They grow without effort or Monsanto. So, take a look at the beauty we drove out into the country to cut down…It’s wild and Texan, so no, it isn’t triangle but trees don’t really grow as triangles anyway (except in Estonia, according to Roman – but everything is perfect in that country, so it doesn't represent the whole world). We all love the tree, it is beautiful.The snakes and scorpions are very slow in winter here, so Roma was happy to get down and cut the tree. We might think 70 is warm and perfect, but here it is so cold that reptiles have to hibernate. Grandpa is directing the action here. It should always be a whole family effort to bring home the Christmas Yule. It represents life and spirit and tradition. I’m glad we didn’t get it at the gas station. I’m also thankful my parents have friends who are gracious enough to let us come to their property and cut a tree down! If not that, we would be having a Circle K Christmas—our back up plan. It is a beautiful tree and it will be perfect to liven up our Christmas spirit. Decorated pictures to come. That doesn’t happen until Christmas Eve!