Wouldn’t you know it? We had a Christmas tree saga.
We got going early yesterday morning and drove to the nursery where I buy my plants and where we buy our tree. Every year. We’ve been buying trees there for 16 years. Usually, we get a tree during the second week of December, though during Covid and lockdown, we got one earlier because we needed the lights and cheer. So, my point is that buying at this time is nothing new to us. Still a couple of weeks away from Christmas, but not last minute.
We drove to the nursery and I commented that there weren’t many cars there, which was unusual. Then we parked. And stared at a completely empty tree lot. “Where are all the trees?” I said. I briefly though they might have moved them to another part of the property. But no, there was nothing.
When we went inside to ask what the heck was going on, they said they ran out. There is apparently a shortage of trees this year, which a lot of you probably know about, but I’ve been in a filming bubble and had heard absolutely nothing about it. We were stunned. We’ve purchased even later than the 12th and there were always scads of trees on their lot. They suggested we go to another local business because they still had a few trees left. When we arrived there, all they had were Douglas firs, not Frasier firs, which is what we always get. I’m not a fan of Douglas firs – the branches aren’t very strong – but we were panicked, so we bought a small, but wide tree. Put it on top of the car, took it home.
It wouldn’t fit in our stand.
Evidence:
The hole in the bottom of the tree had been drilled off center and it wouldn’t stand up. We knew we were going to have to get another kind of tree stand, so after a bite to eat, we were back in the car on our way to Lowes. When we pulled in that parking lot, we saw people carrying trees to their cars, so, instead of buying a stand immediately, we headed to the trees. They had a fair amount remaining and they were Frasier firs. We grabbed one, bought a new stand because this tree didn’t have a hole in the bottom, and drove home with yet another tree on top of the car. The first tree is now in a zinc bucket full of water and Don has secured it to the porch. We’re going to put lights on it this afternoon.
The second tree.
Not to mention, we went to our storage facility to pick up all the bins full of ornaments and forgot one of them, so we’ll have to go back there tomorrow and get the missing bin. We will decorate the tree tomorrow.
All of this was exhausting simply because I was already very tired, as was Don, who spent two whole days cleaning the house in preparation for my return, bless him. So today, except for putting the lights on the porch and the porch tree, we’re taking it easy.
We watched Alien last night, one of our favorite movies.
Zoe. Elena carved her face beautifully. The eyebrows! The worried look! (She reminds me of me as a little girl. My hair was the same color, but longer, and I had the bangs and the worried look.) All my girls have their own individual look, down to the lips and nose and eyebrows.
My caption for this photo (on my Blythe IG account) was:
“Sophie (on the left) remembering that wonderful month when she was an only child.”
I get it, Sophie. I get it.
Note that I cut Maeve’s bangs. They were too long
The entire time I was gone, I had very little time to read. I did read one book – Louise Penny’s latest. In fact, I finished it on my last day there. I loved it, but wish I had had more uninterrupted time in which to read it. As it was, my experience was a choppy one. I don’t know that I think it’s her best, but every book she writes is excellent and powerful and full of humanity. And it’s really silly to try to pick out her best when every one of them is a gem.
Okay.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
too bad about the tree shortage and need to scramble, but your persistence paid off. glad you found a frasier fir and now have two trees to decorate and enjoy! :)
i think your naming her “zoe” is perfect … in sync with a darling boy in florida who also has soulful eyes, great eyebrows, dark hair and a name that begins with the letter “z”. :)
hope you can take it easy today. what’s the next book you’ll be reading?
kathy
I have no idea. I’m so tired that I’ve been online but not reading a book – as of yet.
Stay safe, Kathy.
Glad you are home and planning your tree trimming. Now you can breathe and take your time.
I’m now reading State of Terror, the one that Louise Penny and Hillary Clinton did together. I’m liking it, if that can describe a book about terrorism.
That’s on my list, but I don’t have a copy yet.
Stay safe, Shanna.
I am happy you found a good tree and the other can live on the porch and sparkle still. Love all your Blythe dolls. The faces are amazing. Hope you get some rest. I went with my family to a light show at the Botanical gardens let night and it was magical! Hugs!
So glad you had a good time with your family Linda.
Stay safe.
I don’t think there is a tree shortage here. I’m glad you were able to find the 2nd tree. It fits the spot you have perfectly. And you have a bonus tree on the porch.
Zoe is adorable. I had her exact haircut as a child, same length, only very blond. I have a school picture of me in 1st grade with those big round, deer in the headlights eyes. Your girls are all so cute. They each have their own personality.
Take it easy today. Putting up lights is always a frustration for us. We had to buy all new lights for our tree this year. I am certain we got lights a couple years ago that wouldn’t go out if a bulb burned out.
But none of them would light. The frustration was too much and hubby just tossed them in the trash and went to buy new.
Take care
I think the shortage is all over the country.
We did the outdoor lights (I prefer clear, white lights, but Don bought a bunch of colored lights, so we’re going with that this year.)
Stay safe, Marilyn.
It is good to have you back.
Thank you, Joyce.
Stay safe.
Claudia — what a tree adventure — glad you found a beautiful tree — I love ‘real’ trees but some family members can’t be around them for any length of time — so we do not do real !! little Zoe has such worried/forlorn look that I could cry — she is adorable, tho. stay safe/healthy
If this tree shortage thing continues next year, we might consider an artificial tree, but I think we’ll just buy ours earlier.
That Zoe is so adorable! Stay safe, Linda.
Hey! In our area I have heard that some of the tree shortage has to do with the lack of rain last summer. Then I saw a piece on the news about a Connecticut tree farmer who said last year they over-cut their trees because of such a high demand during the pandemic. This year, he said, they are paying for their “greed” because trees can’t be rushed. So, I would bet it is a combination of those and other factors. I doubt if the Repubs can blame this one on President Biden, as I doubt if there are any real trees sitting in containers on ships….but I am sure they will find a way to do so. Bonus to have a 2nd tree ~ and on the porch!! More lights to gaze upon in the evenings.
Glad you are home. Our weather has been crazy here. Supposed to be 65* on Wed. Craziness.
Have fun decorating tomorrow! Take care.
Yes, it’s warm here too! Back to normal next week.
Stay safe, Chris.
Quite a saga, indeed!
Enjoying the variety of setups and fashion displayed with your little girls. Such attitudes!
The news out here: we got RAIN! and SNOW!! Some falling trees, structures, and flooding, too. No one wants to complain too much though. Hoping to enjoy being less worried about where the water is going to come from. I got totally soaked!
So glad you got some moisture out there, Martha!
Stay safe.
Oh, what a frustrating tree experience! Especially when you are already so tired. But I know you’ll put the Douglas to good use and your Frasier is beautifully shaped. You two must be whipped — hopefully you can chill and enjoy. That will be the best fit.
We are tired but we have to decorate the tree today!
Stay safe, Jeanie.
Who knew just getting a tree could turn into such an adventure! I’ve never heard of the hole in the bottom…wonder if that’s more of a local thing? I understand the need for it, but we used to just slam our tree down on the spike…lol.
Hope you got some rest! Benefit? Two trees to gaze upon!! ;)
They drill a hole in the bottom and it fits on a stand in the tree lot.
Stay safe, Donnamae.