For the last 4 years Dustin and I have observed the wonderful Christmas tradition of testing out our 4-wheel drive in the backcountry of Montana in order to find "the perfect tree." Alas, we never really found the perfect tree and the day was usually fairly stressful with children repeatedly asking, "are we there yet?" "Is this the one Mom?" and "Is there a bathroom close by?"
When we moved to Alaska I was certain that I would be surrounded by glorious Christmas trees on every side. I couldn't wait to go out into the woods before our first Christmas here and pick from the millions of perfect pines just waiting to be "the one!" Alas, it was not meant to be.
Pine trees don't grow well in Alaska. Fake trees do. Real, beautiful, "perfect" trees stand in the lot at Wal-Mart or Lowe's and cost approximately 1 kidney and 2 corneas. So this year we had to decide between our ideal live tree or Christmas presents to go under it.
It's a cute tree. It doesn't even remotely resemble anything that once lived, but it holds all the ornaments that I lovingly hauled 3,000 miles just to put on it. It won't shed needles. It doesn't require water and therefore won't dry out. I can put it up again next year too. But somehow it just isn't the same.
Sooooo, I went over to my friend Catherine's today just to bask in the glow that is her live Christmas tree. I sniffed, touched and stared at that fabulously thick and well-groomed tree. It looks like it belongs on the White House lawn. Jealousy is such a disgusting emotion!
However, my friend Nicole was kind enough to provide me with a solution to my problem. She bought me a "Christmas Tree Grow Kit". So thoughtful of her. All I have to do is plant the seed in the teeny-tiny little pot, faithfully water it, repot it 127 times over the next 20 years and then voila! my very own live Christmas tree! Boy will that be a wild and crazy Christmas party.
Until then though, I will happily decorate my little faux tree and try to remind myself that, "it's the thought that counts!"
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