tree, branch, it’s all the same

We’ve always had a tree for Christmas. From big, lush beauties to a Charlie Brown tree to a cheap fake model from the local drugstore, Mike and I have not spent a Christmas together where there hasn’t been something in our home hung with ornaments.

We talked a lot about what to do for a tree this year. We’re downsizing the holidays in many ways, as many of you are, I’m sure, so there was that to consider. There was also the fact that we have a Very Precocious Kitten living with us who loves to climb anything and everything. Our ornaments are all kitty-proof and hang from ribbon ties, so there’s no real concern about breakage or injury, but we still weren’t sure it would be a good idea to get a tree of any sort this year. We talked a bit about getting a small, live, potted tree, but the cost was a bit prohibitive, not to mention the fact that as renters, we don’t really have a place to plant it post-holiday.

Saturday’s huge snowfall was so beautiful I couldn’t bear to stay inside, so after our marketing, we rested up for a bit, fortified ourself with leftover soup for lunch, then headed out for a quick spin around our street with our cameras. At the corner, I spotted a huge tangle of downed tree limbs and branches poking up through a blanket of snow. I tugged at a branch that caught my eye, and it came loose from the pile. It was perfect.

We thought at first of standing it in something, but we couldn’t come up with a good place to put it where Kirby wouldn’t chew on it or knock it over. As I looked around the living room, inspiration struck.

It makes me smile every time I look at it, and it didn’t cost a dime. What an unexpected but delightful way to get a much-needed dose of holiday cheer.