Holiday Traditions

What’s happened to this year? Not that I am complaining, but this year is flying by. If I felt like being more honest the last sixteen years have flown by.

Our family has established and “enjoyed” many holiday traditions over the years and it appears 2021 is the time we throw out the old and bring in the new. It appears we have outgrown our Christmas traditions. I didn’t, but the twins did.

As a family, for the last fifteen years or so, Elaine, Ivy, the twins, and I have cut down a Christmas tree. Usually, this happens the day after Thanksgiving. We plan a day of going to a commercial tree cutting lot deep in the mountains to pay for the honor of cutting a tree. If you are wondering why we don’t cut a tree on our own property, we don’t have many “Christmas” type trees on our property and it is much better to keep your own trees and use your neighbors.

The same goes for hunting; I do not let hunters hunt on our property. If the animal is on my property, it is there for my/our enjoyment. Trees and animals must be removed from the neighbor's property.

This tree thing was actually started by Elaine. We could pick up a tree in town on the way home from work on any given night, but no. We need to drive for an hour, at least, for the family tradition of arguing whether we get a long-needled tree (Elaine) or a short-needled tree (all kids). Me? I just want to cut the (construction language) tree and get to lunch.

Lunch? That’s the part of this tradition I really like. After the tree cutting, Elaine insists we stop at her favorite mountain restaurant for lunch.

Well, it’s 2021 so you can forget that. Boy Twin is working the day after Thanksgiving. Same for Girl Twin. Ivy, ditto. Me? Crutches; hopefully for 2021 only.

Elaine suggested we start a new tradition. We could all meet in town at a tree lot and then possibly go to dinner. I thought there was no way we would get the kids to agree to that. I was wrong. They agreed.

At the tree lot, we kept one previous tradition and started a new one. We were still able to argue about the length of the needles. Once needle length was agreed upon, we started a new tradition. We now argue the price of the tree. I had no teammates in this argument I was alone on the under $75.00 dollar side of things.

Our family kept another small part of the tradition. We decided to go to dinner. In the past, I could understand being hungry, trudging up a mountainside, cutting down a tree, dragging the tree down the mountain, and throwing it in the back of a pickup. I could understand being hungry after all that.

At the town tree lot, we didn’t do any of that. The lot attendant even loaded the tree in the pickup. The most strenuous thing of the whole excursion was handing the lot attendant our debit card. How could they be hungry after that?

This started a whole new argument-

Girl Twin: Let’s go to ________ Boy Twin: I hate that place______ Me: How about_________ Elaine: The website says they’re closed Me: Someone pick a (construction language) place

Somehow Elaine and I were lucky enough to get a couple of kids (Ivy and Girl Twin) to set their work schedule aside to decorate the tree. I sat on the couch and pointed to where ornaments should be placed. Crutches work well for that.

I knew life would change when the twins graduated from high school and moved on. I wasn’t figuring on this not being able to walk thing. If things work well, I’ll go by myself to cut the tree. It will be a lot cheaper.

The docs agreed to schedule surgery, now I just need them to do it. Buy Yarn!

Our crazy lives!

Monner