First Day

We buzzed busily around town on our first full day.  Went to Kohl's where El got a jacket and Brita water filter, then to various other places for this and that.  Home, she made me a nice chicken sandwich, accompanied by a full-bodied IPA. She then brought in the beautiful tree, a Frasier pine, not huge--maybe six feet with the stand--but so full and fragrant, you'd swear you were in a forest.  A real one? But of course!  And just to get it over with, here's my rant from seven years ago:

--Yes, yes, most (artificial Christmas trees) 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, 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...

Hey, but each to his own, kids.
Called back and forth to brother Frank and firmed up a plan:  We'll meet him and Marybeth on Monday in King City, where we'll stay over at a Days Inn and have a lovely sibling visit.  
We had great fun while Ellen put up the tree--with some difficulty, I'm afraid, as she had to go out twice for longer screws for the base--and it looks beautiful, in a minimal way.  She put lovely little lights on, then we had a debate--which continues--on whether they should blink or not.  She added a string of beads and three ornaments; possibly, she'll put more on later , but no matter, it looks fine as it is. She also strung lights over the front door and windows--very festive and Christmasy.
We started watching Hitchcock, which I found mildly interesting, but heavy-handed, and I went to bed after less than an hour of it.  Slept like a babe and got up at my usual east coast time of 5:15, feeling tip top.