Putting up the tree... the saga

The tree wasn't up 10 minutes yet and was still naked!

Licorice ate the tree and puked on the skirt! She looks abashed, that or she's admiring her work?

It did get finished... though I just noticed the big hole on the right side.

What a production! First I put the middle part on the bottom and of course, screwed it ever so tightly into the tree holder upper! After I took it apart and put the three pieces in the right spots, branched started falling off. I lost several of the green peg thingys that hold the branches in, I think Licorice ate them! I used garbage bag ties, so don't look too closely if you come over.

Then I painstakingly tested every strand of lights and hung them from the top, down. I wrapped them around branches, I twisted I went inside the tree... I plugged them in and tada... one half of the top strand didn't light! Why does that happen? Why the top one every time? Can I find the 987 other lights I know I own? NOT! So we re-arranged quickly but 1/2 of one strand is still out. So, don't look too closely if you come over.

Nothing on my tree is glass. I have beautiful ornaments, some over 60 years old, they're in a box, in the attic. I have 40 year old Hummel ornaments, years of them. They're in a box, in the attic. I have a lovely Eastern Star for the top, it's in a box, in the attic. Why? Hello? Look at the pics? Just how long do you think they'd last? Licorice would eat them!

Half of the tree is ornaments Matthew and Michelle have made over the years. Including the sparkly dog poop. Yep, Mich made it in daycare out of clay; it's "O" shaped and painted green with red sparkles on it. Tonight reaching into the bag for ornaments to hang she exclaimed excitedly... "oh, our Christmas poop!" So, ummmm, don't look too closely if you come over ok?