Trimming the Tree

I am not a fan of Xmas trees - they drop needles, they dry out and brown, they are prickly to wrestle with and they need to be dismantled and thrown out after the 25 th December. The dogs' tails swoosh off decorations and I have had dogs knock over the tree, wee on the tree, wee on the presents, open the presents and eat the contents including soaps, eat any homemade decorations and generally all this  ensures that I adopt a very scrooge like attitude towards Christmas and the said tree. It makes me sad to see a lovely hefty branch lopped off a tree and then within a short period of time dumped unceremoniously out on the nature strip for the rubbish collection. I prefer to decorate a plant or large branch or even have a spruce in a pot that can be planted out in the garden. My children always want a "real" tree and I always capitulate as long as they take total responsibility for it. One guess who has swept up the moulting pine needles on a daily basis !!

Comments

[Margaret]

Gorgeous photos though! I have had a cat climb up my tree numerous times already and I can't use those sweet little clip-on bird decorations or their feathery tails will be chewed off!

[Katie]

I stopped doing a real tree years ago for all those reasons. This year it's barricaded into a corner away from the puppies with no tinsel and no 'good' decorations - just in case. But the cookies are good.

[Amanda]

Oh, I like your tree stand, Kate - much better than the bucket we are using!
I hope you and your family have wonderful Xmas!