Comments on: The great Xmas tree debate: real vs. artificial

By: Jane McWilliams

Jane McWilliams — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:30:00 +0000

What about Rieber Paulson’s Xmas Trees on Greenvale Avenue? As a west side family, we used to go over and tag one in November, and then, weather permitting, we dragged it home on a sled. Like you, Robbie, I had qualms about cutting it down. After New Years, we’d put it out in the back yard bedecked with pine cone and peanut butter bird feeders, and we enjoyed it all winter. That salved my conscience a bit.

By: Robbie Wigley

Robbie Wigley — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:11:29 +0000

I love real trees. I love the smell and the process of choosing and cutting or rescuing that sad, bedraggled, last one on the lot and making it a thing of beauty… but many years ago we realized that at least 2 of our kids and my mother were always sick at Christmas. Finally it dawned on me that maybe there was mold in the trees or something else that was making us sick. This is when we broke down and bought a very nice artificial tree. It feels like paper and looks pretty real. It has lasted for about 15 years or more. It has been flexible in that it could be made to fit a corner, around a radiator or even reduced in size, a bit. We still have it and it continues to be an event to put it up and take it down. However, fire is not an issue, nor is watering it, needles in the carpet and no one has gotten sick from the point we moved to the artificial tree. I think it has proven to be cost effective and certainly saved a few trees…. I still love real trees but this has proved to be a good solution for us.

By: John S. Thomas

John S. Thomas — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:55:20 +0000

Sustainable, locally grown Christmas trees available from Just Foods have become a tradition in our household.

By: Bright Spencer

Bright Spencer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:58:11 +0000

Oh,not the pvc type of course!

By: Bright Spencer

Bright Spencer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:57:16 +0000

For me, it’s important to keep in touch with the past, lest I forget. So, I had both kinds back when I was a kid. One Christmas had a real tree, and the next had some pink flocked dealie that only my mother could love. Last year we bought a tree outline, 3D style with LEDs which took about three minutes to assemble and disassemble. We have also had real trees in here so big we had to cut it down a few feet before we could bring it indoors. That one took me about 8 hours pulling long scotch pine needles out of the carpet after we took it down.

But, like even when I am a full vegetarian, I will eat a little
ham or something to remind me of times gone by on a visceral level and then some other levels kick in. It’s a sacred thing to do.

Of course, the best thing to do is to replant your Christmas tree and that you have to plan for way ahead of time. Then have all the little artificial trees you need to please everyone. It’s a bit excessive, but to me, Christmas is a time of celebration and you need light and love to do that.

By: Griff Wigley

Griff Wigley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:14:23 +0000

Now back to the Xmas tree conversation.

'Twould be interesting to know if the artificial trees sold locally are hazardous, as mentioned here:

most artificial Christmas trees are made in China, typically from oil-derived, pollution-releasing polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A number have been found to contain lead.

By: Felicity Enders

Felicity Enders — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:07:59 +0000

Score!

By: Griff Wigley

Griff Wigley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:50:44 +0000

Another test comment, this time via my G1 smartphone. My apologies but Felicity started it.

By: Griff Wigley

Griff Wigley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:15:39 +0000

Hey, I bet that’s a test post from your iPhone, am I right, Felicity?

By: Felicity Enders

Felicity Enders — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:10:46 +0000

Test post…