The Christmas Season always started for us on Thanksgiving Day. We usually stayed home for Thanksgiving because that was the time for Christmas tree sales to begin.
M
y brother was a member of a Boy Scout Troop, and each Thanksgiving the Troop received a shipment of Christmas trees by rail car that had to be unloaded. All members of the Troop, and their families, helped unload the rail car that was parked across the street from the Boy Scout tree yard. The weather did not really effect our unloading the car. If it was very cold, everyone just bundled up, and if it was warm, we felt really lucky. The process usually took all afternoon.The Scout Troop made almost all their money for the year's plans through the selling of Christmas trees. Sometimes the Scouts sold light bulbs to bring in extra money. After setting up the tree lot, the Troop members usually worked on the lot selling the trees. Everyone had to share the duties. Parents volunteered their time and expertise.
We always purchased our Christmas tree from the Scout Troop lot. One year in particular Mother requested a perfectly shaped tree. The men working on the lot agreed to find mother the best tree. After a thorough search, Dad brought home what he thought was the best tree.
We placed the tree in our formal living room in front of the window. Mother and I noticed that our tree was perfectly shaped and contained no bare spots. After Dad placed the lights on the tree, Mother, my brother, my sister and I started decorating it. Mother and I started noticing that some of the limbs had different needles on them. She and I found this to be very unusual. After closer scrutiny, we discovered that the men on the lot had placed a branch in every bare spot and trimmed all limbs. The men working the lot drilled a hole in the trunk and then placed a pine limb in the hole. All bare spots were filled and branches were trimmed to create a great shape. This tree was the best tree of all.
that's funny! we get our tree the day after thanksgiving and when we got our tree this year my sister and were like, there's some holes but all the trees seemed to have holes. so this tree was the one of the most correct height and with the least number of holes. then my dad had to trim a little off the bottom and we considered sticking the branches into the holes. decided against it though! i'm not sure they would stand up to the decorations.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is a funny family story that we tell often. Daddy was SO proud of that tree. I can just see those men at the tree lot engineering the “perfect tree” for Mother, and Daddy so proud to bring it home. I doubt those branches stayed moist throughout the whole season, but I don’t remember that part.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story! She must have felt like she'd recieved the best gift ever!
ReplyDelete