Wednesday, December 22, 2010

"THE" CHRISTMAS TREE

The picture of this tree is not to make everyone go "ohh, ahh" but is an illustration that goes with a Christmas reminder story.
On a nice cold snowy afternoon we got into the truck and went to our favorite "cut your own tree" farm.  Much to our chagrin the farm was closed.  The owner was walking in his driveway so we stopped to talk with him.  Seems that he had a operation in the summer and didn't get into fields to trim his trees so he was going to take the year off. 
Disappointed we went back to the shop and started our search for a new place to cut a tree.  We found several, made phone calls and checked on prices.  Mary Lynn found one that was close by and any size tree was $30.00.  Mary Lynn likes a bargain.  So the next morning we piled into the truck and off we went. 
We found the place to be a small unassuming little place with a row of cut trees leaning on a cable stretched across the yard.  I immediately expressed my skepticism but Mary Lynn said we could at least look.  The trees by the road were short and scraggly and I was unimpressed, but by this time Mary Lynn had rang the door bell and a little old lady, probably in her 80s met us.  We were told that we could go in the back lot and pick and cut our own if we'd like and she handed me a saw.  Off we went, trudging through the deep snow. 
The trees were not well kept but Mary Lynn was thrilled and had already picked out several that she said would be satisfactory.  While we were looking Mary Lynn told me what she had gleaned from her conversation with the proprietor.  One, she was probably a widow, two the person that cut the trees was her son which meant that he was at least my age.
And the thing that I gleaned from our conversation was that Mary Lynn was going to buy  a Christmas tree from this sweet little old lady regardless.  And so we did.  I drug the tree to the truck while Mary Lynn went to pay the lady, (she gave us an oven mitt for cutting our own tree).  Still mumbling about the quality of the tree I was stretching a bungee cord to hold the pickup bed cover down when I let it slip, it hit me in the mouth causing great pain and a very swollen lip.  Mary Lynn while sympathetic later suggest that if I had remembered what the tree was really about I might not have needed such a severe reminder.
It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful Christmas trees ever.
(this story has been abbreviated believe it or not)
MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE

3 comments:

Ann said...

Going out and cutting our own tree was such a fun adventure. It sounds as though your tree hunt was a perfect beginning of the season for you two.
Merry Christmas!

Judy said...

This story is the perfect example of what means the most at Christmas. Mary Lynn comes out a winner for insisting that your tree would come from the lot of a most needy owner. The tree is beautiful.

Elizabeth said...

Steve, so glad that Mary Lynn has her priorities in the right place and that you are a willing abettor. Sorry about the bungee cord - one has to be careful, because they are out to get you. inanimate object that seems to have a life of its own. Merry Christmas!