O' Christmas Tree

I was inspired to compose this blog from reading one of my favorite blogs: The Family Fish Bowl. It amused me to no end - and this rebuttal blog is certainly not meant to create a mockery of her love of real trees at Christmas but to defend those that like the "fake" ones so that there isn't shame for those that choose to go faux. Under Lori's rules I am of those that is allowed at faux tree. My free pass comes in the form of allergies! It is true. I am allergic to Christmas trees.

Growing up with a faux tree in both my house and my grandparents house, my exposure to the real deal was limited. My friend Shelley had a real one and that's about the only house I can recall that had one. And during the holiday seasons spending time at friend's houses is limited because of all the festivities. So it wasn't until college that I really started to put two and two together that hmm every time I'm in a house with a real tree, my face starts to leak. Most of my allergy is similar to hay fever or the symptoms described by Ben Stien in his ever famous monotone voice: red, itchy eyes.... Um yah - so in college is when I discovered this. I've never been specifically tested on what it is - because I can be in a forest most of the year and not have an issue... so my best guess is the sap that runs after the tree has been cut, or the mold. It being trapped inside I'm sure exasperates the issue - but tree lots are equally as horrible if not worse... the masses tend to attack from Thanksgiving all the way till the week of Christmas (after that their mostly dead and not quite as potent.) So see I've achieved the free pass for the faux tree.

Now let me defend my faux tree. Not all of them start 3 feet from the ground and not all of them have very obvious synthetic branches. The part of having to fluff it out because its been in a box for 11 months - well that's true, but I just assume that the time I'm fluffing my tree is less time that it takes for someone to go to a lot, pick the tree, haul the tree and balance it on the correct-best side of the room - there's always a trade off. But I think that the faux trees have gotten far superior as time has gone on. And like real trees the better the tree the more you have to pay.

So allow me to introduce you to my faux tree in all its glory. I love this tree and the great thing is: I get to enjoy it year after year. So while my husband says I'm allergic to Christmas, I say I'm just a perfectionist of Christmas and have found the perfect tree and plan to enjoy it year after year (or all year if I was so inclind.) Merry Christmas!