What came next. . .

Right after I finished the blog and was trying to upload the video, Leah called. The conversation went like this. . .

"How are you doing, Mom?"

"This is not a good day to ask!"

"Why? What's wrong?"

I then told her the story of the tree fiasco, how mad I was, and pretty discouraged. A few minutes later after lots of laughter, she told me how to upload the video and I left for work.

When I got home an hour and fifteen minutes later, Leah's van was in the driveway. Troops had arrived to help with the decorating.

I am so grateful for a caring family that takes me with all my warts and loves me anyway. This is what things looked like when Leah took her three little girls and went home . . .

Ho. . . Ho. . ..Ho. . . "Tis the Season

I got up at 5:00 AM to get ready to put the 8 foot tree up. It needed to be fanned out and the three sections put together on the stand. Beautiful!!

By 7:30 I knew that out of seven strings of lights, I had one that worked completely, three that half worked, and four that were dead. I took Andy to catch the bus to work, counting out sixty cents for a drink as I was out of drink boxes. Then to the drugstore that is open 24-7 for lights.

I bought 800 lights and spent the next two hours meticulously placing them on the tree. Back to front, equally spaced, just a touch of color. . . . As my kids can attest, Christmas is my baby. . . Kurt is not a big fan of the whole thing so each year I spend days decorating, etc.

Well back to my story. It is now time to move the wonderfully lighted tree back into the corner. I is now after 10:00 and I have to go to a meeting for work at 11:00 (By the way, Friday is my day off!!) I crawl under the tree, grab the stand, and push. Nothing happens. . I try again.. . . still nothing. It's just too heavy. I decide I can lift it into place so I grab the trunk and lift.

You guessed it - i pulled it apart. The top was too heavy to hold with one hand so it fell, taking me to my knees. I just came up here to whine and left the whole mess. When I get home again and calmed down I will start over. Hope I finish by 4;30 as I have guests coming for dinner

HO......HO......HO

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