It's NOT alive and the reflections of a tree thief

So, for the first time in my life (that's right all 35 years!) my Christmas tree this year is a fake. I've always had real trees, the scent of pine drifting through the house, the beauty of the greens that only nature can make... This year, we've got a fake tree :(. Now, I know it's what is done here, well that or something in a pot, but it's just very different for me. Let me give a bit a of insight into my previous Christmas Tree experiences, so that you better understand where I'm coming from...

I was raised in a small city in the Southern US by a single Mom. With two kids, we didn't have alot of left over money for extras. As a result, my very handy mother as always looking for ways to save money. I know you're wondering where in the world I'm going with this, but bear with me. We were members of a sailing club on a nice wooded lake about an hour from our house where we spent many, many happy summer days. But, come Christmas time, my mother would remember the wooded acres and decide that no one would miss a stray tree. So, off we would go, piling into the car bundled up against the chill. We'd head off to the dirt road leading out to the club, find a likely spot, and pull over. The my Mom would bring out her saw. Now, my Mom had a wide array of interesting tools, but the "stealing a Christmas tree" saw was my favorite. It was a wire saw that curled up to be the size of a small key chain ring. She'd unfurl the saw and begin to cut the tree while my brother held it and I nearly died of embarrassment. El 3atal compared it the other day to cutting down a tree with dental floss. In fact, that's a pretty apt description. Then we'd head home with the tree and I'd spend a half hour getting pricked by its mean needles before we got it into the tree stand. All in all, that was my least favorite part of the Christmas experience, the pricks and pokes from the mean, mean tree. So, I'm a semi-repentant tree thief who's experiencing my first ever non-real Christmas tree. And, let me tell you it just isn't the same. Not only doesn't it look the same, but it lacks the pricking poking and dodging exercise provided by real trees :). I never thought I'd find myself missing that.

So, a fellow compatriot said, well, at least you won't have the needles littering the floor and I did see this as some minor compensation. Then we put up the tree... Now, we need to vacuum. Who knew a fake tree would shed? So, today we're down to putting on the lights and ornaments. I hope once we're done, it won't be obvious that the tree isn't real, but suspect it's just wishful thinking...

Happy tree thievery!