Baby Quilt*

OilMan and I have an artificial tree, which fit perfectly in it's box when we bought it 15 years ago but has never really fit since. Except for its two weeks of glory in December, it is a pretty sorry sight leaning drunkenly in a corner of the garage and is now looking decidedly past its prime.  So we took ourselves to the local nursery to buy a cut tree ratherslog through the mud at the 'choose and cut' lot favored by Dana.

 We  have what I suspect are typically different approaches to this holiday task. I like to think of it as a festive season opener. I like to walk around every tree and take my time selecting the 'perfect' one. I like to go inside and look at the massed poinsettias and the ornaments and sip a bit of mulled cider. I like to put on some holiday music and sip a bit of mulled wine whilst decorating the tree.

Oilman thinks of it as a huge chore. He wants to buy the first tree he lays eyes on. "that's nice one", he'll say pointing to a three foot high twig. He turned down the mulled cider, "unless it has beer in it". Even with the offer of wine and music he has no interest in decorating it. The rain hastened the selection process. OilMan was pleased.

In fairness, he is the one who has to drag the tree off the top of the car, shake out all the dead needles, drag it to a bucket in the corner of the garage to dry off, sweep the garage and clean the car, drag the tree into  the house and put the lights on it, not to mention climbing into the rafters to get down the boxes of holiday ornaments it seems he just finished putting up there.

I spent the afternoon removing the pumpkins and autumn leaves from the table and making two gingerbread houses which the kids will decorate  this weekend. OilMan got drenched again taking the trash bins down to the street.

We have worked out the holiday division of labor over the years…the real challenge this year will be Blake. I'm sure he will LOVE the tree….

* The quilt for Lindsay and Adisa's baby doesn't have anything to do with anything we did today, but it is finished, as opposed to everything else we did.