TEXAS TREES

It was cold and rainy Sunday, but our family went out to cut our Christmas tree anyway. We wanted to be on time this year, for once.

We always like to get a Texas grown tree so we drove to a local tree farm and started our search. You know, Texas is probably not the best place to get a homegrown tree. This year’s rain notwithstanding, the drought of the last few years stunted growth on most of the trees.
So lots of the trees are, oh, 4 feet tall. Of course a tall tree stand and topper would help. Then there are the trees that look great — from one side.
We try to find a tree with enough space between the branches to hang lots of ornaments. That’s not usually a problem since the greenery can be pretty sparse.

Our routine is always pretty much the same: we walk the tree farm, up and down the rows, and then usually come back to find the perfect tree just where we started out. While the tree is being measured and wrapped in netting, there is always hot cocoa and coffee inside. It was actually cold enough to enjoy this year!
Our tree may not be as majestic as some of the specimens on the tree lots, but as long as our
now 14 year old is willing to go saw it down, I suspect that’s what we’ll do.

WORKING WOMAN’S HOLIDAY

Like many women, I work a lot of holidays. One of them is Thanksgiving. Here’s what I have to be thankful for — that I’ve gotten older and wiser!
There was a time when I felt like I needed to make the homeade Thanksgiving dinner my mother and grandmother did. Of course, they didn’t work outside their homes. I slaved for days over pies, stuffing, and assorted vegetables.
This year, I decided enough is enough. Yes, we will make a turkey, gravy, dressing, and green beans. But my 14 year old son got the job of making the cranberries, my sister-in-law is bringing the sweet potatoes, and I BOUGHT mashed potatoes, rolls, and pies. I also enlisted my husband’s help in chopping the celery and onions for the dressing.
Our Thanksgiving dinner won’t be entirely homeade, but we will gather around the table and I bet no one will go away hungry. And this year, maybe I’ll have a little time to actually enjoy the holiday — before I go to work!

Warm Wishes

I know our recent warm weather doesn’t seem much like the holidays are near, but I like this time of year in Texas.
We get a chilly night once in a while, but most of the time David’s forecast is for sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s and 80s. That’s just about perfect! While our friends to the north are preparing for several months of gray skies and bitter cold temperatures, we can look forward to a Thanksgiving where it may be warm enough to cook a turkey outside and putting up Christmas lights in our shorts.
That may not seem seasonal but it sure is livable. It’s one of the many reasons I like living in Texas. Now August, that’s a different story…….