PUTTING UP THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

PUTTING UP THE CHRISTMAS TREE. We had the pleasure—relief—again this year of having Annalisa and Nick put the Christmas tree up before we decorated it. Putting up the tree had always been stressful; the struggle was a family tradition. Part of it was because back in the day—before improvements in technology—the Christmas tree stands were not very good. Part of it was our ineptitude. My father used to use lots of picture frame wire and piles of lawbooks to hold the tree up. One year when my brother and I were old enough to help out, we were late in buying the tree. In fact, we didn’t get it until Christmas Eve. We struggled with the tree with a Christmas deadline before us, and then had the inspiration of forgetting about the stand and simply wedging the tree between the floor and the ceiling. It worked. A couple days later we found out that Christmas trees shrink.