"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!"

We have the snow, gift wrapping is underway, and most of the house is decorated. One thing we lack? The Christmas tree! Yesterday after school, Craig, Lisa and I took care of that.

We began at Ace Hardware, cautiously, remembering the year of the painted tree. (Click here to see that tree: How Lovely Are Thy Branches.) Ace's trees were very picked over and still $45 and higher. Lisa and Craig wanted to go to Marsh and look at their trees, but I had a feeling we'd do better at Cassens Tree Farm, which is out by the barn on Morehouse Road. 

Cassens is on one of the oldest area properties, originally owned by the Morehouse family.

It doesn't get more picturesque than this when getting a Christmas tree!

We had just stepped out of the car when another car, a very familiar one, rolled up the hill and into the parking lot next to us.

Surprise!!

Curt and Vanessa had come to get their tree, too! What a coincidence!

It was fun looking at trees together, although we had the same tastes and chose several of the same trees as finalists. We looked at the precut ones - they were all on sale. Some, though, had just been cut that morning, including the one we chose. (And still on sale - $30 for a fresh, just-cut 10 foot tree!) It had snow in its branches that the Cassen family removed with their shaker and wrapping machine.

Curt and Vanessa got their tree into the back seat of their car.

Ours was taller, but we stuffed it into the trunk, secured it, and were off.

We propped the tree in the foyer as we ate the grilled cheese and soup supper that Lisa cooked for us. (Todd says that this picture looks like a Home Alone booby trap. Hah!) Lights and decorations will be put on tomorrow as we let the branches fall out and the tree settle into the stand.

Now, to bake the Christmas cookies...