Cutting the Christmas Tree

I thought I'd share a Christmas memory this morning.

Each winter, when my brothers' and I were kids, we traveled to my great-grandparent's farm in a small community about an hour away from home. I always hated the trip there because I am not a good traveler.

My great- grandpa would load us up in his pick-up and take us to a neighboring relatives property to find a tree. My brothers brought their wooden guns to shoot any bears they might encounter and they always discussed the ghosts that more than likely lived in the dilapidated building on the property.

We walked forever until we found the perfect trees to cut, load up and bring home.

Christmas was always a magical time. On Christmas day, my great-grandparents would come to us to have dinner and tell us stories. My Papo always told the story of the Christmas tree catching fire in the school house when he was a child and my Mamo would recite stories from a book. One year my parents made a tape recording of the stories. I was 11 when my Mamo died and 15 when my Papo died but I will always remember going to pick out the tree.

Now we have artificial trees mainly because of allergies.

What memories do you have of childhood Christmases?

Homemade Christmas idea

My brother sent this to me earlier today and I just had to share it. It really makes you think twice about Homemade and Handmade.
My dear friends, Somewhat embarrassing to admit, Christmas is tight this year. I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts. Please let me know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below.

How to make bedroom slippers :

You need four maxi pads to make a pair.

Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.

The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.

Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.

Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing ), etc.

These slippers are:

* Soft and Hygienic

* Non-slip grip strips on the soles

* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh

* No more bending over to mop up spills

* Disposable and biodegradable

* Environmentally safe

* Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.

I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself.... Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each one of you.