December 12
...serving up your daily dish.
Ah, those holiday traditions. This is one I experience every year...
Accompanied by a loud thud, it's the annual Christmas tree tip over. Fortunately this year (this morning to be exact), the tree had not yet been decorated. In the past, I've not always been as fortunate. Meanwhile, share your own traditions or anything else you'd like to get off your chest, in today's open thread. And if you have an interesting way of decorating for the holidays, as always, send photos...
December 12, 2005 in The Daily Chat | Permalink
I recall a similar tradition of sorts that occurred at my neighbor's house when I was a kid: keeping the cat from jumping into the tree and thereby knocking it over. Colleen (the cat) probably thought she'd outwitted everyone one day by waiting 'til nighttime to make the leap--only to have the tree pin her in a tangle of lights and ornaments. She was pulled out unscathed by her sleepy and none-too-happy owners, but probably down about 8 of her 9 lives.
She also never tried that stunt again. In fact, she gave future trees a pretty wide berth in the living room...
Posted by: Diane | Dec 12, 2005 1:39:49 PM
My mother-in-law lost so many of her ornaments one year after that happened we had to go and buy new ones, ones of course that couldn't be replaced. She went and bought one of those wrought iron ones.
Posted by: cstarling | Dec 12, 2005 1:41:42 PM
We have the same tree stand and never had a problem... so perhaps you are buying lopsided trees?
My annual tradition is the highly celebrated hanging of the Christmas pickle decoration on the tree. And Advent calendars, to get a chocolate fix.
Posted by: Christine | Dec 12, 2005 1:52:53 PM
My sister-in-law puts a hook in the ceiling and ties the tree to it with fishing line (you don't see it ).
The the cats can try to upend it but they only succeed in moving it slightly.
I like that your feline companions are sitting on the sofa overlooking the downed tree!
Posted by: badd_patti | Dec 12, 2005 2:06:52 PM
My youngest kitty would knock down any tree, real or fake. So, no tree in our house.
My family had a cat years ago that tried to pee on our tree. Probably because we had a green carpet in our living room.
Posted by: Krys | Dec 12, 2005 2:13:38 PM
Christine, I have a highly treasured Christmas pickle decoration too - from Matt McGhee. When we were first married, it used to freak out my husband that I put vegetables on the tree...
mw
Posted by: mw | Dec 12, 2005 2:18:03 PM
When I was four years old I got up before dawn, came downstairs, opened everyone's presents, not just mine - (I remember opening a wallet and thinking "Why would anybody give me THIS?" and throwing it aside as I moved on to the next one)- and as the piece de resistance, managed to knock over the whole tree. I still remember to this day seeing that tree lying there in the cold dawn light. From that year forward my parents always tied the tree to the curtain rods to make sure it didn't fall over again.
Posted by: mauigirl52 | Dec 12, 2005 2:43:46 PM
Our two-year old found our stash of gifts. He opened one, which happened to be addressed to him. I thought he was a prodigy who was able to read at a very early age. My wife pointed out that he probably had a superior sense of smell. Considering that our two-year old is a schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle mix), and the gift was a pack of rawhides, my wife is probably correct.
Posted by: MadBrian | Dec 12, 2005 3:20:11 PM
I believe I was in Kindergarten in St. Michael's Lyndhurst, when I was sent to the back of the room and stood facing the wall for doing something bad. The Christmas tree next to me fell over and the nun blamed me! Hey, but I still love Christmas and the look of a well decorated tree!
Posted by: St.PAZ | Dec 13, 2005 12:10:58 AM
My tree fell two nights ago at 1:30am decorated and all. It is our first tree so this could very well be the start of a Christmas tradition for my boyfriend and I.
I may try that fishing line trick although how can it hold up an 8 foot tree?
Posted by: Nicole | Dec 13, 2005 1:17:53 PM
Nicole, so sorry to hear about your tree. Hope you didn't lose too many ornaments. The fishing line trick works because most of the time the tree tips over due to a very slight imbalance - it's not that the string is holding the whole weight of the tree up; it's just steadying it.
Posted by: mauigirl52 | Dec 13, 2005 3:56:56 PM
Ok in 43 years my tree has never fallen-needless to say........I have joined the ranks of Christmas horror stories
Chapter 43-"The Christmas that Barely Was"-I am feeling very much like Charlie Brown this year-moldy ornaments-over turned Christmas tree-unnecessary family feuding-financial insecurityhealth issues-an IRS Audit...Feeling Festive?
2006 the Year of the Fix.
Posted by: cstarling | Dec 19, 2005 9:03:13 AM
