Finally got the tree down and all the Christmas decorations removed and put away in the garage. What a job--it took all day. Even after donating the boxes and boxes to Habitat for Humanity as I did before Christmas, I have much too much.
As for the tree, I think it was the most beautiful we ever had: nine feet high, perfectly shaped, round and full--BUT! It was a bitch to dismantle and especially to get out of the house. Pat did that part and it was so difficult for him. Next year, I want to either go somethere for Christmas and/or get a smaller tree. I'm not talking about an artificial tree. Yes, yes, most of them are very attractive, look very natural, are so easy to put up and take down, don't shed needles all over the place, can be used year after year...I don't care! They just seem so...well, artificial. I love the idea that a live tree grew from a tiny seed and that 150 years ago, people hung their ornaments and lights and popcorn strings on one like ours. I don't want a perfect, machine-made, already lighted pyramid of plastic, the product of some ambitious young designer who graduated from the Parson's School of Design....
Incidentally, aside from my own children (Alison and Mike), I don't even know anybody else who puts up a live tree, but so what?
I read that live trees are actually better for the environment and they smell good, too.
Okay, that's the end of my spouting off about Christmas trees. Now about the Easter bunny...