Middle Age and Beyond: Choices and Changes

This year, I had a very difficult choice to make! It seems I could have a REAL Christmas tree, OR I could have my husband; but I wasn't going to be allowed to have both.

Eddy and I had a very strained and awkward conversation where he made it quite clear that if I brought a real tree into the house this year, he was going to spend the holidays and probably the whole of next year in a corner of the basement just so he could be sure to avoid stepping on dried pine needles. He said he would be removing himself from all involvement.

So..... I made a list. Pros and Cons. A real Christmas tree has been a tradition for me my whole adult life! I love the smell, the look, and the very idea of a real tree in my living room. And I love the traditional activity of going out as a family (these days, as a couple) to pick one out. On the other hand, I've kind of gotten use to having my husband around, too. It's nice in the evenings, to sit together in the living room, candles and tree lit, Christmas music softly playing, soaking up the ambiance of the season and sharing bits and pieces about our day and our lives. Plus, he's handy for lots of little chores, like chopping wood and building fires, helping clean up after dinner, feeding the dog.... I guess I'd miss him if he wasn't around.

I decided to keep the husband and replace the real tree with an artificial one. So, the search began. Having been out of work for almost two years now, I only had pennies in my pocket to purchase an artificial tree. I started by going around to all the thrift stores and second-hand shops. No luck.

Then I started checking on Craig's List. Finally, yesterday morning, I saw a listing for a tree that was described as never-been-used-still-in-the-box for only $40. Sounded good to me. I called the guy up, made an appointment to come get the tree, got in my car and drove way out east of New Haven to pick it up.

The box had been opened, but I believed Grant was probably right when he said the tree had never been used because the tree stand was still wrapped in plastic and the tree was too well packed to have been removed and replaced. As Grant was loading the box into the car for me, I asked him, "So....why does someone buy a tree and then not use it?" He said, "I have no idea. You'd have to ask my mother. She recently passed away and we found five Christmas trees still in their boxes!"

Got the tree home, lugged it into the house and began the task of unpacking and assembling it. As I reached the bottom of the box, I saw fluffs of pink and white and brown. At about the same time, I noticed a faint "stench" in the air. I pulled out the top of the tree and discovered a large mouse nest of several rooms built among the branches. Turns out, there was even a basement in some of the smaller branches still in the box. UGH!!! Little mouse turds all over the bottom of the box. Large chunks of "tree" missing where the carpenter mouse had nibbled away the leaves and used them to build his walls. I went to the kitchen and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. Then, with my face scrunched up into a protective grimace, I began picking the mouse nest out of the tree.

Once I got the nest out, I saw the damage wasn't really that bad. I put the tree together and, with Kenny G tooting Christmas carols in the background, put on the lights and decorations. Now that it's all said and done, I'm pretty happy with the tree. When Eddy came home, he stood in front of the tree and said, "Now....THAT'S a Christmas tree!"

I've noticed that I seem to have a difficult time with change. Especially when it comes to letting go of things I've always had, whether or not they are things of value. But once change is forced upon me, I usually do just fine, and often times end up happier than I was before!