Sly Bald Guys Forum
Various Non-Bald Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: warhawk on December 06, 2012, 07:24:44 PM
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Hello fellow chrome domes: I hope all is well with U and your families. With Christmas nearing... I was wondering what kind of Christmas tree will be in your home.
I will start. We will be having an artificial Christmas tree in our home. Maybe one day we will purchase a real tree but for now it will be artificial. So... how 'bout you? real? or artificial? What's your story?
WARHAWK O0
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We always have a real tree, usually a Fraser for or balsam.
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Real for us. We put it up last weekend.
Every year my wife sends me off to get the tree with these words..... "Remember, get a FAT tree! Don't bring any skinny tree into this house!".
So every year I get a big fat tree. BUT... when I went to buy the tree last week I said to my wife "I know... get a FAT tree". Her reply? "Well I decided that this year I want a skinny tree".
Really?? No wonder my toes are dangling at the edge of sanity....
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REAL TREE for us.
However for some reason, Team Schro always ends up with a "Charlie Brown Tree". Not necessarily one that is 2' tall with just a couple of pine needles, but one that leans one way, has big openings in one side, or has a trunk with a spinal condition.
We have ornaments from The Lovely Mrs. Schro's great grandmother. They are minature clowns, mimes, and dolls (very classy) from her days in the theater. They take up a lot of space on the tree, so any challenging openings in the tree are easily covered. Between those, the lights, and other hanging crystal, balls, and misc. stuff, the tree always looks great.
This weekend is a soccer tourney, but early next week we plan on getting ours.
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Real tree here to. Love the smell . They are somewhat of a pain to water and loose needles if you have them around a long time.
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Got a pretty live Red Cedar in a pot so I can plant it outside near last years. O0
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Artificial Christmas Tree here in my home... Though i can say the spirit of Christmas is very TRUE in our hearts O0 O0 O0
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I had real trees for years after rebelling against the hideous tinsel monstrosities of my 70's childhood! Love the smell and look, but then I'd get really stressed trying to keep it watered and perky till Christmas!
Fake one now, which can be loaded with as much sparkly glittery crap without the fear of it turning into a dessicated twig overnight!
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We have a real tree--for the last 12 years, with the exception of the year of Katrina, we've gotten our tree from the same guy. He goes to Western NC the Saturday before Thanksgiving and cuts his trees, mostly ordered from folks like us who are long time customers, and delivers them the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The trees are incredibly fresh and since he knows what style of tree fits our house, it is pretty much the same tree every year. He keeps threatening to stop this business, but I think that's just a mantra. We have a hodge podge of decorations ranging from handme downs from our parents, gifts from friends and relations and those made by our kids as well as many purchased on vacations. We take our tree down on 12th Night, the beginning of the Carnival Season.
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When we lived in Alaska we always had a real tree. Just tromp out in the woods, find one, and bring it home. They were plentiful, but always scroungy. Out in the woods the trees looked great, but get up close and they look horrible. Some people would cut two or three and 'graft' them together by drilling holes in the main trunk and gluing/wiring in additional branches to help out.
Then in Southeast Alaska (cold rain forest), the trees were wonderful, but they grow 18-24 inches each year, so they look great in the woods, but look 'vacant' in the house. What we think of as christmas trees have branches every few inches. You get the drift.
Since we returned to the lower 48 and the price of trees has moved up (the ugliest live tree starts at $30), I can't afford to buy a tree. Wife got a nice artificial tree a few years back and we use it.
Oh, another issue at our house. The Christmas tree often goes up mid-December, but we like it so much that we don't take it down until about Easter! You could never do that with a live tree!
Yes, we enjoy Christmas.
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Definitely a real tree.
They are being cut any way, it would be a pity not to buy :)
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Artificial here.
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Charlie Brown Christmas Tree !
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Charlie Brown Christmas Tree !
You know we have to see some pics...... if you aren't just joking.
As for me, I used to be a HUGE real tree advocate when I was a kid. I would tell my dad: "Fake tree, fake Christmas." He never let me down. :)
Anywho, now being older, I can see the benefits of going artificial: Pay for it once; use it for years; no chance of hitchhiker bugs/spiders; can be left up for a while (if one so desires, like zed and myself); incredibly low maintenance; etc.
I'm not sold on artificial forever. I do want real trees as part of our holidays when my son gets a bit older, but for the reasons I listed above, artificial currently works best for us. O0
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We use an artificial tree. That way, it's the exact size and shape that we want. We spent a fair amount on one that's really nice and should last for many years.
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Charlie Brown Christmas Tree !
You know we have to see some pics...... if you aren't just joking.
As for me, I used to be a HUGE real tree advocate when I was a kid. I would tell my dad: "Fake tree, fake Christmas." He never let me down. :)
Anywho, now being older, I can see the benefits of going artificial: Pay for it once; use it for years; no chance of hitchhiker bugs/spiders; can be left up for a while (if one so desires, like zed and myself); incredibly low maintenance; etc.
I'm not sold on artificial forever. I do want real trees as part of our holidays when my son gets a bit older, but for the reasons I listed above, artificial currently works best for us. O0
Hey Natedawg ... prelit artificial for me. It lasts and no crickets in the house . I just felt Charlie Brown Christmas Tree matches my haircut - lol.
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Some of the Alaska trees really looked like a CB Christmas tree.
I hope to hear Linus play some Christmas music again
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Due to the fact I work retail, and am surrounded by decorations much longer than others have, I have no tree. Surprisingly, this is my first year in a while listening to Christmas music (Twisted Sister's album does count in my opinion.)
Had I not been working retail, I would opt for an artificial tree.
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Artificial silver aluminum all blue glass ornaments with a three color rotating electric color wheel shining beside it . Luv it :@` :@`
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Artificial silver aluminum all blue glass ornaments with a three color rotating electric color wheel shining beside it . Luv it :@` :@`
My parents bought an aluminum tree and color light when they were the rage in the 60's. my brothers and I still refer to that year as "the year Christmas died"! Strangely enough, we couldn't part with the old aluminum tree after my folks passed away. My brother still puts it up in his family room every year.
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Artificial. Nice to be able to put it up when I want to and not worry about having a skeleton by Christmas.
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Artificial silver aluminum all blue glass ornaments with a three color rotating electric color wheel shining beside it . Luv it :@` :@`
My parents bought an aluminum tree and color light when they were the rage in the 60's. my brothers and I still refer to that year as "the year Christmas died"! Strangely enough, we couldn't part with the old aluminum tree after my folks passed away. My brother still puts it up in his family room every year.
MyDad bought the tree in 1967 from K mart has been used every year since. It is in immaculate condition. Never had anything last like it . :)
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My parents bought an aluminum tree and color light when they were the rage in the 60's. my brothers and I still refer to that year as "the year Christmas died"! Strangely enough, we couldn't part with the old aluminum tree after my folks passed away. My brother still puts it up in his family room every year.
That is SO FUNNY! We never had one, but I remember looking out the back window and saw that one of the neighbors on the next street had one. How ugly, I thought. Mother would NEVER let anything artificial like that in the house!
She won't even let the family use American Flags to decorate the house/yard of Independence day. The flag should not be used for decoration, she said.
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Due to the fact I work retail, and am surrounded by decorations much longer than others have, I have no tree. Surprisingly, this is my first year in a while listening to Christmas music (Twisted Sister's album does count in my opinion.)
Had I not been working retail, I would opt for an artificial tree.
Similarly here ... the Christmas decorations go up in the theme parks the first week of November and the work schedules lengthen soon after.
I've got an artificial tree which gets put up in October when I have time (and covered with a sheet) until mid-November when I "unveil" and start enjoying. Here in Florida the real trees don't last long enough to fill the entire (extended) holiday season.
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Artificial silver aluminum all blue glass ornaments with a three color rotating electric color wheel shining beside it . Luv it :@` :@`
Fond memories of this.
We also had many years (early 60s) of a real tree with sprayed-on flocking.
Those were the days before miniature lights, fiber optics, rotating tree stands, etc.
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Due to the fact I work retail, and am surrounded by decorations much longer than others have, I have no tree. Surprisingly, this is my first year in a while listening to Christmas music (Twisted Sister's album does count in my opinion.)
Had I not been working retail, I would opt for an artificial tree.
Similarly here ... the Christmas decorations go up in the theme parks the first week of November and the work schedules lengthen soon after.
I've got an artificial tree which gets put up in October when I have time (and covered with a sheet) until mid-November when I "unveil" and start enjoying. Here in Florida the real trees don't last long enough to fill the entire (extended) holiday season.
FG, when I was a kid, the parents bought this green artificial tree we decorated it , and did right for a couple years. Then my mom had this idea cover it up with a cleaner bag , leave it decorated and put it in the atic ! Next Christmas bring it down. After 2 years of that stuff, I told them to leave it up there. I was about 12 . No more tree thank god.
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Permanent - decorated with train ornaments
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The first three years of our marriage, we got real trees. Each year, we bought a tree that looked exactly like the one before it.. (about 6/12 ft tall...and narrow). The bad thing was that the trunks were so different. I had to buy a different tree stand each year to accommodate the trunk (even after cutting and trimming). That got old, plus the price of the tree seemed to be going up by $10 dollar increments each year. So on the fourth year, we found a great artificial tree that looked just like them. We had to buy a new one last year because the old one shed so many fake needles (probably from storage in our Florida-hot attic). This time, we got a pre-lit tree that assembles in three parts, rather than branch by branch..
One other thing we started several years ago, was a small "memorial tree". This has only lights and few decorations. The decorations are actually silver-plated picture frames with pictures of loved ones we have lost over the years. It is a great way for us to honor them and has been great for the kids to know some of the relatives they never met or would not remember too well. We are sad when we have to add a new picture to the tree, but are happy to have a unique way to remember them at Christmas.
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The first three years of our marriage, we got real trees. Each year, we bought a tree that looked exactly like the one before it.. (about 6/12 ft tall...and narrow). The bad thing was that the trunks were so different. I had to buy a different tree stand each year to accommodate the trunk (even after cutting and trimming). That got old, plus the price of the tree seemed to be going up by $10 dollar increments each year. So on the fourth year, we found a great artificial tree that looked just like them. We had to buy a new one last year because the old one shed so many fake needles (probably from storage in our Florida-hot attic). This time, we got a pre-lit tree that assembles in three parts, rather than branch by branch..
One other thing we started several years ago, was a small "memorial tree". This has only lights and few decorations. The decorations are actually silver-plated picture frames with pictures of loved ones we have lost over the years. It is a great way for us to honor them and has been great for the kids to know some of the relatives they never met or would not remember too well. We are sad when we have to add a new picture to the tree, but are happy to have a unique way to remember them at Christmas.
Bro., that is a great idea "memorial tree" . As old as I am . Would have to fill up a large memorial room, I have all family, other family's over the years which are so many, but they are always remembered ;) and yes it just goes up each year. But I look to the day that I will see them again, and know that they are in a much better place than this world. And No , we will never understand until we meet them again.
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How about no Xmas tree? I'm not a big on holidays, unfortunately Xmas has been more of a 'marketing holiday' then ever.
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How about no Xmas tree? I'm not a big on holidays, unfortunately Xmas has been more of a 'marketing holiday' then ever.
Make xmas what you want I say!! I'm not religous or from a religous family so I view it more as a festive get together with friends and family. I try and avoid the overly commercial side of things, we don't do big presents or anything, I never had them as a child and it never did me any harm. Only thing we tend to go full bore on is the xmas dinnner!!
Oh yeah, we have a fakey tree!! Allways had a loved real trees growing up but fakey ones aint half easy year on year!! ;D
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How about no Xmas tree? I'm not a big on holidays, unfortunately Xmas has been more of a 'marketing holiday' then ever.
It is all good bro., I have went years with out one after the divorce . Can live with one or out one. LOL sometimes with family , and presents, kids, they are nice other times they suck ! It is what Christmas is all about Tom, my bro.. But oh yes how I know what you are saying , give me a candle and let me count my blessings ;) as you and I know it could get ah heck of alot worse.
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One other thing we started several years ago, was a small "memorial tree". This has only lights and few decorations. The decorations are actually silver-plated picture frames with pictures of loved ones we have lost over the years. It is a great way for us to honor them and has been great for the kids to know some of the relatives they never met or would not remember too well. We are sad when we have to add a new picture to the tree, but are happy to have a unique way to remember them at Christmas.
That is brilliant - what a great way to remember people, to keep their spirits/memories alive, and to integrate them into your children's lives.
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Real tree here- when you live in New England it just works well.
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Real tree for me, we never have, and never will have a fake one, such a wonderful smell... Although I did notice while putting it up, that the feeling of pine needles on the bald done is horrible
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Although I did notice while putting it up, that the feeling of pine needles on the bald done is horrible
True, very true, particularly when it's taken down and become dry--then they feel like pins. Not without its benefits though, it's a lot easier to get any pine sap off your head than when it's gotten attached to hair--yes I remember that and it's part of Christmas I'm glad I don't have anymore!
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I have my Mom and Dads Christmas tree up this yr. My Mom passed away in July of thie yr and with the Grandkids (all 10 of them) I wanted to put something up. OOps! It's artificial.
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I think it's incredibly wasteful to use a real tree if you don't chop it up/let it sit for firewood later! Those who cut the trees and then toss them to rot, shame on you!
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Mine. Fake this year as the dogs get the pine needles in their feet!
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Just bought a fake one from Sears it has the lights already on it and it took only 2 minutes to put it up.
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Christmas tree farming is one of the major agricultural items in Oregon; they are shipped from here throughout North America. There are plenty of service, youth or charitable organizations that sell them for $10 to $20, and dozens of U-Cut farms nearby.
DO NOT put your tree in a stand. Hang it from the ceiling. I have screwed a 5/16" hook into the ceiling, wrapped thin, strong aircraft cable around the tree about a foot from the top, and hung it so the bottom is a couple of inches off the floor. Put a water filled bucket under it and you are all set. It automatically hangs straight, and it cannot be knocked over.
To make life even easier, put another bucket beside the tree, and set up a siphon hose. To add water to the tree simply keep the second bucket filled and let the siphon do the work.
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We have always had a real tree. I love the fragrance and the look of a real tree. In the future if I ever buy an artificial tree, I will make sure that it is pre lit. That is the hardest part of decorating the tree I think.
Merry Christmas to all my sly brothers.
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I do love the smell of a real tree, very festive smell.
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still loving the smell and look of our tree!
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Mine is also going to last until the 1st. Also have loved that smell.