We took the tree home. 

I told my wife that I had to leave her for a while.  I had volunteered that afternoon to be a bell ringer for the Salvation Army.  My wife is really smart, and great at putting things together.  I pretty much assumed that she would have the tree assembled before I got home.

Three hours later I walked into the house to find her sitting on the floor with a third of a tree.  The other two thirds was on the floor, our couch and our love seat, all segregated by color code.

"This tree is not easy to put together," admonished my wife.  "Each branch has to be separated and shaped, they then have to be inserted into the proper section.  They don't insert easily either."

Together, my wife and I finished "building" our tree, and some two hours later had it assembled to everyone's satisfaction.  My wife was not in all that good a humor, particularly when she discovered that the floor was covered with artificial needles.

"Just like the real thing." I quipped merrily.

"It doesn't smell like a real tree either," groused my Claudia.

I put on my biggest grin. "I can fix that, let me get some Pinesol…"

"Don't you dare..."

A bit of artificial pine spray, the right decorations, and some Christmas lights and we were able to have a very nice looking Christmas tree.

Christmas has now passed, and we are into a new year.  Claudia and I no longer have to worry about disposing of our old Christmas tree.  Our only worry now is trying to fit it back into the box that came in, and finding a place to store it…  Oh yes, and the profound hope that we will someday be able to reassemble it again.

Our Christmas tree, a life-changing event…

Both Claudia and I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.