I readily admit that I am a big sucker for Christmas traditions. This time of year has always been my favorite. Even at a somewhat advanced age, I can still bring to mind memories of many wonderful Christmases past. I remember stacks of Christmas music albums playing on my dad's stereo. I remember that music playing while we decorated the Christmas tree.
This may sound like sacrilege to many traditionalists, but I have never been a big fan of real Christmas trees. Somehow, the notion of dealing with all the needles and tree sap more than off-sets the pleasure of smelling a real tree. That's what scented candles are for, right? Give me the convenience of a pre-lit “tree-from-a-box” any day.
This time of year, (actually any time of year when I can find them) I watch a lot of Christmas movies and, as such, Christmas advertisements. One of the big advertisers during this season, especially during Christmas movies, is the Balsam Hill Christmas trees company. I do admit, they are beautiful and impressive, with an even more impressive price tag. As nice and as realistic as those trees may look, I have to say I prefer something much simpler.
I would love to have a Christmas tree like the one Mama Patrick had in the “parlor,” which is what she called the formal living room of their house. That's the room that hardly anyone ever went into, unless you were passing through on your way to the front porch. Mama Patrick had one of those aluminum trees with the color wheel that would shine on the tree. With the wheel shining on the tree, every shiny branch would take on alternating hues of green, red and blue. It was no less than mesmerizing to watch the changing colors. Call me tacky, I don't care, but I have a goal to get one of those trees one day.
No matter what kind of tree you have, I hope it helps to bring a bit of joy to your holiday season. Merry Christmas from the Sunny Side.