Monday, November 27, 2006

Fo' Real or Fo' Fake?


Are you for a Real Christmas tree or are you for a Fake Christmas tree?

We've always had real.
Whether chopped down on the farm or purchased from a lot, we've always been die-hard afficionados and true to the attributes of Real.

This is the first year that I've even considered the idea of a Fake.
For several reasons - the most significant being that I get so sad when the gorgeous looking and delightful smelling Realtree begins its slow but inevitable drying once inside the house (no matter how faithfully the tree stand gets filled with H2O). By the 26th, the extra-crispy tannenbaum only serves to add significantly to my Post-Christmas melancholy.

We live in the forest so I do not want for bringing nature in. All I have to do is glance through any uncurtained window for a view of pines or step out for a 360ยบ of the evergreens.

A live tree to haul in-then-out again is not an option. Too many live bugs.

Cost is another factor. Real has gotten ridiculously-high-priced. Talk about use and discard!

I'm not even going to get into the whole dropped needles issue...

Just thinkin'. Just askin'. Just wonderin' aloud....
Hmmmmmmmmmm...

(BTW, re: cost: no tree on our 1.3 acre property is of the right size/type for cutting down and hauling in as a free-in-the-house Christmas tree)

6 comments:

House Dreams said...

Hey, B.
I want that exact tree in the photo! Do you think it could really happen?

But where would I put 3 sets of painted dough ornaments with photos my babies smiling! And don't forget the ones we collected in the early years!
Oh,dear, I guess we can always hope.
J.

Anonymous said...

WELL. I'VE ALWAYS HAD REAL TREES, GROWING UP AND SINCE I'VE BEEN MARRIED. WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE. PERIOD.
HOWEVER, MY CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE LAST 26 YEARS HAS GONE FROM THE RIDICULOUSLY LARGE, NOT SO MUCH IN HEIGHT, BUT WIDTH, TO THE NO LONGER LIVE, BUT ARTIFICIAL, 5 FT. TALL, CAN WRAP MY ARMS AROUND IT TWICE, PRE-LIT TREE! I STILL PREFER THE REAL DEAL, BUT WHEN YOU ARE THE ONE WHO MUST DRESS AND UNDRESS SAID TREE, AND PROVIDE THE HOUSE WITH ALL IT'S HOLIDAY FARE, THE CHORE OF HAVING TO GO OUT, AND FIND THE PERFECT TREE, AND THEN HAVE THE OH SO DELIGHTFUL PRIVILEGE OF UNDRESSING, TAKING DOWN, REMOVING AND CLEANING UP OF ALL THOSE DEAD NEEDLES, THAT HAVE LEFT A TRAIL OUT THE DOOR...WELL THEN I SAY UNCLE. GIVE ME THE FAKE. THIS ONE IS SO SMALL AND LIGHT, I MAY EVEN JUST LEAVE IT DECORATED AND JUST PUT IT UP IN A CLOSET WHEN THE HOLIDAY IS DONE!!!
OH, BUT HOW DELIGHTFUL IS THAT PINE SCENT?

Anonymous said...

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas. i just plugged in my itty-bitty pre-lit tree. how pretty. how stress free. no tangled strands of lights, that only work while off the tree, and no need to find the culprit bulb that prevents a section from working!
I'm out to the store to buy a pine scented candle!

D

House Dreams said...

A former boss (who shall remain nameless) a small man of intense personality, got little artificial trees for the office adding decorations and lights and tinsel.

After Chistmas he simplly tossed the whole thing into the garbage!!

He did things his way.

Conn said...

FO'REAL or FO'FAKE... THAT IS THE QUESTION.
I say FO'FAKE! For Pete's Sake!
Living in NY does not allow, in my opinion for real trees. The apartments simply become SO DRY that the tree is more or less in a "puddle" of needles on the floor after a week. Also, when leaving town to go home for the hoildays, I just never felt safe leaving it in the apartment while away fearing it would self combust! Furthermore, cutting a tree then tossing it never quite settled well with me. If I were to live some where that I could buy a potted live tree then put it in my yard I would go that route. It just pains me to cut a tree unless it is of the variety that will grow back.

2 years ago... I decided to go FO'FAKE after not having a tree for several years. And when I say Fo'Fake - I mean Fo'Fake. I got a white Martha Stewart tree that gets decorated with orange and pink... very 60's. I wanted a white tree because when I was a wee little one we had white flocked trees every year. (keep a look out on my blog in the coming weeks for a pic)
It was $69.00 with 20% off.. what a bargain! I'm not even sure that you can get a real tree for that price.
So I say go Fo'Fake unless you buy a potted one that you plant on your property.

baffle said...

Thanks for the input, youse guyz. I'm keeping the guidance of your wise words in mind...

However -
The Fo'Real or Fo'Fake dilemma continues...
It's December 4th and I'm still the-same-very-undecided on which way to go (other than to cancel Xmas and head for the tropics).

HubbyDear sez Fo'Real, but he's gone on biz trips all the time and/or our work schedules are in conflict these weeks - leaving little opportunity for the essential daylight hours to: Xmas tree hunt/cut down/ rinse off/ bring in/ decorate.

Plus, I still have issues with the dying-drying part of it.

I too thought maybe going totally Fo'Fake if we do. But we're pretty conservativo old folkie when it comes to these Christmas traditions - and I've never experienced a white or flocked or aluminum tree Christmas, so they don't comfort me like the greeeeen ones do.

At any rate...
I'm predicting a last minute trip one of the evenings next week to Home Despot or Tar-Zhay's nursery departments...

...then the mad rush to 'make Christmas happen' - though I am plenty reluctant at this writing...