A bit of an intro:
I actually was cheating a bit and wrote the latter part of this last night with plans to read back over it this morning. I'm writing this part from the ER with Tori who had a severe allergic reaction to her antibiotic. Just hours after I wrote the other. She's fine and actually resting well now after an epi shot, steroid and more benadryl. Just so crazy to me how the world can flip from laughing about a tree to worrying about your child in a matter of minutes. I guess that makes the rest of this all that more important. Cherish all the little silly moments, all the moments really, we are blessed to have them. Sorry to lead in so sadly to such an otherwise funny story. Felt it important to say that though. _______________________________________
In the beginning of our relationship if you had met me or Dennis you would never suspect that I would end up being the realist of the couple. I was an art major in the early nineties, during the time of grunge and alternative rock. I wore combat boots, granny dresses and toyed with the idea of joining Green Peace. I was a bit on the flighty side and Dennis had his two feet planted firmly in reality. He was no nonsense and had his priorities set. He worked close to 40 hours a week, helped on the family farm and did a full course load in college. He knew he'd go to Saint Catharine College for two years then transfer to U.K. and finish up with a degree in Horticulture and that ultimately he'd be a Horticulture Agent for U.K.'s Cooperative Extension service. He didn't have time to stray from the plan and logic always ruled.
I worked as well and also had a full course load but I changed my mind weekly on where I'd transfer to after S.C.C. starting with San Francisco, then to Colorado where I planned to live in a cabin in the mountains as a full time artist, then Savannah, Georgia and finally realizing I didn't want to be so far from him I transferred to U.K. right along side Dennis. And ended up majoring in English.
Fast forward twenty years and Dennis, the man with the plan, is just where he planned to be, working for U.K. as a Horticulture Cooperative Extension Agent. Me, the artist turned English major, I'm a librarian. But while he is where he planned to be I'm much more focused now and he's probably one of the biggest kids at heart that you'll ever meet. These days he's the one with "big" ideas and I'm the one interjecting with all the "what ifs" and "how will we" questions. That fact is probably no more evident than it is at Christmas time.
We've wanted, not necessarily needed, a new Christmas tree for a few years now. Every Christmas we go back and forth. Dennis wanted a real tree and I didn't want to waste money on something that will dry up fast and leave me sweeping up needles every day of the holidays. Not to mention it seems wrong to kill a tree. Dennis reasoned we could wait till closer to Christmas and get one we could plant but again if we're buying it I want to enjoy it for more than a week.
Then there's our long time debate over clear versus colored lights. I want clear because they seem a little more classic and he wants colored...that flash and twinkle as the tree spins. Yeah. We've definitely switched roles!
This year as Thanksgiving Day came and went we went back to our tree discussion and finally decided we were going to bite the bullet and upgrade our tiny Wally World special to a bit more grown up version. So this Saturday we set out to Wally World once again where after over an hour of looking and comparing, calling other Wally Worlds to see if they had models we liked, discussing, trying lights, watching trees twinkle and spin, we finally left with...nothing. We also left hangry, yes it's a real thing, and grumpy and Dennis left with a new mission in life. To find "THE PERFECT MORGESON FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE". It was not exactly a peaceful nor silent night.
Now while Dennis has taken on the more whimsical role in our relationship he still gets pretty goal orientated about things and if he gets interested in something, like chickens, or bees, or the mission to find "THE PERFECT MORGESON FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE" he will not rest until he has researched completely the topic at hand and has gotten exactly what he wants. Saturday night, flashing light, twirling tree loving Dennis got online and Googled and compared and contrasted all his options local and far until he knew what he would do.
So come Sunday morning after church we piled in the van and headed to Campbellsville and Lowes. Once there we were accosted by Christmas lights, inflatables and yes TREES.
Now perhaps I should interject here that Dennis has a favorite Christmas movie, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. I think maybe that should have clued me in that while focused and logical in his youth there was an underlying part of his personality that strayed to the fantastical and perhaps not exactly realistic. Which brings me to the scene at Lowes.
Remember that moment in the National Lampoons movie where Clark has brought his family far into the woods where, choirs of angels singing and spotlights focused, he spies "THE PERFECT GRISWOLD FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE"? Yeah, I liken that moment in Lowes to that one.
For while we circled the trees comparing sizes and prices of floor models to Internet research on our phones a moment came where I swear to you I'm almost certain my husband heard, within his mind, Martina McBride singing "Oh Holy Night. " For low and behold there it was. "THE PERFECT MORGESON FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE."
It stood 7 and 1/2 feet tall and not only did it have realistic branches, and was of course pre lit, you also had the option of not only white lights but color too and the factor to beat all others...the ability to have the tree switch between the two color options on its own. Green, red and blue back to classic white in an ongoing fluctuation of Christmas tree magic that all the world would envy. It was also about three times the cost of the Wally World special we had at home. Thus came the interjections of my cold blanket realism to debate the logic of making such a purchase.
So the dance began again. The sway back and forth between the necessity of childhood fantasies being fulfilled and the desire to remain within budget despite the fact that I knew my husband had already found his tree. Once again we left empty handed and set out to be realistic and compare the options at the Campbellsville Wally World where of course no other trees could compare. Where we passed by another couple comparing decorations and overheard the wife ask the husband, "Which do you like?" And then upon the husband pointing and answering that he, like my own husband, preferred the bright colors, she replied, "ummmm no." Where we would also leave empty handed and make a pit stop for flame broiled burgers and fries to keep "hangriness" at bay for fear our mission would be lost again.
Then back we went to Lowes where the real battle of wits was about to unfold.
I saw a tree that was the realists option. Pre lit, 6 feet, white lights, life like greenery and about 70 bucks cheaper. But not "THE PERFECT MORGESON FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE". As we circled again coming to stop before the "one true tree" Dennis began his Patton like Christmas tree speech.
"The way I see it," he began, "this is our forever tree. This is an investment. Yes it's more expensive but it's a tree that should last us a lifetime. We shouldn't have to buy another one after this. And yes I love the light options but honestly, this is the tree the girls really want." The girls, of course, gave their Daddy full support with their patented, we are just cute, innocent little girls, with dreams of Christmas joy, wide eyed looks. "Look at them," he concluded, " they really want it."
And so that is how it came to be that we bought "our forever tree" "THE PERFECT MORGESON FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE". My long timed pushed down flighty artistic side broke free to join Dennis on the side of non realism and we loaded it, precariously, into the buggy, wheeled it up front to pay for it and rolled it outside where we stood to contemplate the fact that perhaps the choice to bring the van to cart a 7 and 1/2 foot tree home may not have been the best decision.
So once again we created a scene from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and while we didn't strap it to the roof we were most definitely creative in our placement of it inside the van. We drove home with the sense of holiday joy in our hearts singing Christmas songs, like our favorite "Walking 'round In Womens Underwear" where Dennis finally learned, after years of miss sung lyrics, that they didn't build a snowman to call him, "parse and brown". Once home we rejoiced in the fact that our tree came packed in large quantities of bubble wrap and stood back in wonder as all 7 and 1/2 feet were placed under our 8 foot tall ceilings.
Yes. It truly is our "Forever and PERFECT MORGESON FAMILY CHRISTMAS TREE. " It's also proof that heartfelt flights of fancy will no doubt always win out over my newfound sense of logic and responsibility. And I have to admit it really is pretty "PERFECT" to see my husband and children gaze happily at the tree with the angel whose head grazes the ceiling and hear Dennis proclaim, "it really is a pretty tree!" as we watch the lights flash from classic white to tack....err whimsical colors.
No comments:
Post a Comment