We have an artificial tree. Every year we consider
getting a real tree, but for the cost and the mess…well, when we lived
in the city it made even more sense because it was a pain to dispose of
real trees. So it comes up from the basement – all pre-lit, and we get
out our garland and ornaments and put on the Christmas music and
decorate.
Every year I
see gorgeous trees at other people’s homes, in shops and at the mall.
Some of them are works of art, with beautiful ribbon and glass balls.
Colour coordinated and really, really stunning. Occasionally I wonder
why our tree doesn’t look like that. Sometimes I long to decorate our
tree that way – perhaps all white lights, with just red and gold for
colours. Classy. And then we dig out our ornaments and I realize that
maybe we’ll do that in years to come, when it’s just my husband and me.
For right now, our tree is decorated not with ornaments but with
memories. Some ornaments I’ve had since I was a girl. Others we’ve
bought along the way, from places we’ve traveled. Each year our girls
get a new ornament with their names on it. They have their own box of
ornaments that they will take with them when they go. There are homemade
ornaments that we’ve made from beads and wire; some that I’ve knit.
There are some with baby pictures of the girls inside. How could I
possibly leave those packed away? Because for me, a tree isn’t just a
tree. Our Christmas tree has meaning, and I wouldn’t have it any other
way.
Merry Christmas and may you make lots of new memories with your friends and family!
Donna xx
Website: www.donnaalward.com
Twitter: @DonnaAlward
Wanted: one contract bride!
Alexis Grayson is good at looking after herself—she's been doing it all her life. So what if she's alone and pregnant? She'll cope! But gorgeous cowboy Connor Madsen seems determined to take care of her. And Alexis can help him—he needs a temporary wife; she needs somewhere to live until the baby's born. A short-term marriage will solve all their difficulties!
As Alexis gets to know the courageous, honorable Connor, she realizes that she might have made the biggest mistake of her life. Because all this wife-for-hire wants is a marriage for real!
Alexis Grayson is good at looking after herself—she's been doing it all her life. So what if she's alone and pregnant? She'll cope! But gorgeous cowboy Connor Madsen seems determined to take care of her. And Alexis can help him—he needs a temporary wife; she needs somewhere to live until the baby's born. A short-term marriage will solve all their difficulties!
As Alexis gets to know the courageous, honorable Connor, she realizes that she might have made the biggest mistake of her life. Because all this wife-for-hire wants is a marriage for real!
A week before Christmas, city girl Hope McKinnon finds herself snowbound with rugged rancher and all round do-gooder Blake Nelson. What is it about this handsome, generous man that has her blood boiling and her pulse racing?
Blake knows his ranch is the last place Hope wants to be, but somehow her presence feels so right! Hope is the first woman guarded Blake has wanted to be around in a long time. Her visit may be temporary, but he has one more night to convince her to stay...
Donna, I just love your cover on the book "Sleigh ride with the Rancher" this is something that is sort of a dream that I have, I grew up in Ky where there was lots of snow and now living in Ga for many years I would like to go back in the wintertime and do just that, have a sleigh ride with a rancher. Your stories of men and women needing spouses for a time is the kind I like to read, thanks for sharing today.
ReplyDeletePaula O(kyflo130@yahoo.com)
I love your tree and you have nothing to feel bad about there are so many memories. I love it. And you book oh I am hooked I need to know what happens to them. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGood morning! When do you guys put your tree up? Ours goes up on the weekend closest to the first of December. We had a very grey day last week and I was working on the sofa in my office, with a printed copy of my manuscript and a red pen. The tree is actually IN my office this year - it's the perfect spot, actually, and to make my work atmosphere cheery and cozy I plugged in the lights and let them go all day!
ReplyDeleteDonna, I try to get my tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but sometimes it's the next week.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being my guest today. I have several of your books on my Kindle and have enjoyed all of them.
I like your tree, and think the memories are the best part of a Christmas tree!
ReplyDeleteI realized when I saw this pic that I need a new tree skirt. That one is small! But i hang on to it because I quilted it myself. I think it's my one and only quilting project...
ReplyDeleteI don't think you need a new tree skirt. Size doesn't matter.
DeleteWhen we lived in Michigan we had real trees. Then we moved to California and the expense, plus the fact that it's drier than dust here....well, it just seemed a waste. So for five. long. years. after we moved we had NO tree at all. I have some pretty cool ornaments and by year six I put my foot down. We bought an artificial tree :) It's kind of a hassle to put up, and fluff out all the fake branches - but it's pre-lit, which is a dream. Also, no pine needles to vacuum up!
ReplyDeleteI told myself that my tree was going to go up after Thanksgiving, since I had four glorious days off work. Yeah, instead I read. So the tree went up last weekend, on the 8th :)
Hmmm, read/put up tree...read/put up tree.
ReplyDeletelol
Donna, that's a lovely tree. I have kept many ornaments that I made in school, and of course, the ones my kids made in school, and our tree is usually a hodgepodge of everything. But I'm kind of missing it this year since we didn't do our big tree like we usually do.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Cheryl
That's a beautiful tree, Donna. I think the smaller tree skirt works fine. More room for presents! LOL I have SLEIGH RIDE WITH THE RANCHER and the other two books in the 'Holiday Miracles' series. I just have to read them. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMarcy
bmndshuler(at)hotmail(dot)com
Marcy - I really enjoyed reading Fiona's and Shirley's - I hope you do too!
ReplyDeleteLOL at Wendy reading instead of putting up the tree! The dh put it up and fluffed the branches (which may explain the gap on the lower right, but I'm not complaining, honest). Then it was up to the kids and me. And it went pretty fast. I think I might have spent the afternoon with a book. Or maybe that was a movie...come to think of it I think we watched White Christmas by the fireplace. :-)