Back in the 90s my parents sold the B&B they’d been running for a decade and bought a nearby house with a very high-ceilinged living room. I remember them showing us the place before we moved in (I was about 12 at the time), and my Dad remarked, “you could put a hell of a Christmas tree in here.”
Well, he’s made good on that over the years. Here’s this year’s edition, which is over 13 feet high, I’m told.
Obviously, a tree of this size requires structural support even if, like my parents, you don’t happen to have a resident cat at the moment.
This is what that looks like (pictured are my brother, in Clemson University orange, and my dad, in sensible rural-white-guy flannel):
Basically they have eye-hooks screwed into the wooden sills of the large window and the loft area, and they run cables through those hooks to hold the top of the tree. The stand is also some kind of heavy-duty thing which they screw to a large piece of heavy plywood to act as a base. It’s ridiculous and a lot of faff and complicated, but it’s also absolutely magical.
The decorating takes all day on Christmas Eve, and taking out the ornaments is like walking through family history every year. There are ornaments from both sets of grandparents, little lace snowflakes tatted by a great-great aunt who was a nun, and (my personal favourite) my younger sister C’s first driver’s license, which features a picture so terrible we all laugh ourselves sick over it whenever it comes out of storage.
C. has asked me not to share that here, but she has given me permission to post this photo of her ChristmAss:
That donkey is far too dignified for that hat.
Merry Christmas to all Jackals who celebrate!
eclare
To paraphrase Charlotte’s Web, that is some tree!
Formica
Our white, fluffy cat, Beatrice, took out her first Christmas tree at the age of nine months. We had to ratchet strap the tree to a doorknob.
In subsequent years, an eye hook has been placed in the ceiling, which is much more aesthetic than bright orange nylon. But you go to the war on Christmas with the tools that you have, etc.
H.E.Wolf
@eclare:
RADIANT
BeautifulPlumage
Lovely post! I’ Bah humbug about this holiday but I enjoy the lights.
this BlueSky post is a thread of 2 Seattle floods in front of various decorated homes on their walk
Sister Golden Bear
Wow!
Sharing Joe.My.God.’s annual story of holiday romantic magic at NYC’s Grand Central Terminal, Dance of the Sugar Plum Lesbians.
oldster
That photo of Dobby on the right side — man, that face speaks to me. I think I’m in love.
That is one wise old dog– those eyes have seen a lot, but it’s not sad and it still has a bit of pup left in it.
I hope Dobby’s owners love it very much, and I’d be grateful if they’d give Dobby an extra scritch from me.
Rose Judson
@Sister Golden Bear: That was delightful. Thank you!
Leto
This is the way.
That is definitely a magical looking tree! Happy Christmas!
Anthony
This year the kids, 24 & 22, both living at home right now, FINALLY helped decorate the tree, and our ornaments are also a walk down memory lane, or at least the trips we’ve taken over the years. I could look at the Zion ornament, and remember the trip, and what the kids were like back then, and what we had going on at the time. The kids had the same experience, which was nice.
tobie
Impressive!
May I ask: is that a wood stove or a pellet stove next to the tree? I have wood stoves, which I like a lot for the radiant heat, but keeping two of them burning when it’s cold is wearing me out. The idea of pellets in a hopper is starting to sound very attractive.
sab
When I remarried 20+ years ago we splurged and bought a magnificent, ceiling touching fiber optic artificial tree. Within two years his favorite cat and my favorite cat destroyed it by friendly fighting in its branches.
Rose Judson
@tobie: Hi Tobie! It’s a pellet stove. My father loves that damn thing. I’m sure I’ll be able to get him to share an insane amount of detail if you want it.
I also have a woodburner in my little English house, and I’m glad I don’t have to rely on it for heat year-round. Lots of fuss.
BeautifulPlumage
@BeautifulPlumage:
aaahhg…I’m…&…floofs…
MagdaInBlack
@BeautifulPlumage: Is ok, I figured it out. Thanks for the Christmas floofs. =-)
tobie
@Rose Judson: If your Dad has had it for years and still uses it, that’s a strong recommendation.
I’m out in the boondocks and have a propane heating system. But I also have 11-foot ceilings and the stoves augment the furnace nicely and take the chill out of the air. The whole thing is definitely labor intensive. I can’t stand dust so I end up vacuuming all the time!
Wishing you a wonderful Xmas day.
BeautifulPlumage
@sab:
Ha! This is a great metaphor…for something!
Miss Bianca
@tobie: Woodstoves upstairs and down at the Mountain Hacienda, and it’s the main source of heat. (Have electric baseboard heat but it costs the earth to use, so it’s on a timer.)
Been up for four hours feeding the beast, and still waiting for downstairs to heat up to my liking. Bah, humbug. :)
Ruckus
You guys have trees in your houses?
Those must be some pretty big homes with high ceilings!
BTW I used to know a couple, customers at my store, who always had a huge tree because their house was custom built and they had a very high ceiling in the front room. For the xmas tree! Thirty years ago that house would have cost at least 3 million. Likely more. Very nice couple.
trollhattan
If I extrapolated what they charge per foot for trees here, that is a several-hundred dollar investment. As to decorating such a behemoth, Santa hat’s off to them all!
I’d be getting “there’s a hole with no lights” comments right up to Christmas eve.
tobie
@Miss Bianca: Wow. You carry wood to an upstairs stove. Who needs a gym if you do that on a regular basis? I gave up trying to split wood with a big axe and use one of those Sun Joe log splitters. I feel like I’m no longer entitled to sing “I’m a lumber jack and I’m okay,” because I’m using this wimpy tool. You, though, deserve the song!
hitchhiker
That looks like a standard Seattle suburbs pacific northwest style house, with the high ceiling and the interesting windows way up there. We bought one in 1992, and yes, the very first thing I thought when we were looking at it was, “That’s where the Christmas tree goes.”
These days we live in a sort of cottage on an island — I’d put a tree on the deck but it’s too windy here. And inside there’s really no place at all. This house is sorted like the inside of a ship, with every inch in use.
Merry fucking xmas, jackals. We’re sailing into poop-infested waters, so hold your noses.
trollhattan
@Leto:
Syracuse orange seems more orange than Clemson orange, based on my ACC tour last month. I suspect there are scraps over such things, but not obvious from three time zones away.
Now, if Oregon State joins ACC too, things get interesting.
lowtechcyclist
Sorry to hear your brother couldn’t get admitted to the University of South Carolina. ;-)
Josie
My husband and I went out to a party during our first Christmas in our new two story house. We came home to a Christmas tree on its side with many smashed ornaments and our cat busily washing herself and looking very innocent. After that, I used only unbreakable ornaments and we wired the tree to the circular staircase in the entryway. It actually put us ahead of the game when we later raised three very active boys in the same house.
ETA: As far as heat goes, we lived in the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas, so hardly ever needed to heat the house. :-) This year in Houston, it is warmish and wet. Merry Christmas.
Jude
What a great story and tradition, Rose! I loved your story. The driver’s license is a stitch. I feel my current one could be in the running. Absolutely ridiculous they don’t give people a second chance on those in this insta-digital age.
Another Scott
Heck of a tree, Rose! Thanks.
Meanwhile, … about that Trolley Problem…
Have a relaxing, peaceful day, everyone.
Best wishes,
Scott.
karen gail
@Jude: I recently had a new drivers license picture taken and being digital was asked if wanted that one or for them to take another one. She told me they take as many as people want until they get one they are happy with. (Small town and only one in department to renew license at the time.)
Miss Bianca
@tobie: 13-lb maul for me. Pal D does most of the splitting, tho. ; )
ETA: It’s good for about a 20″ diameter log and past that, you have to get the wedge out.
trollhattan
@Rose Judson: Can’t begin to guess how long it takes to heat a room with a vaulted ceiling that tall. Presume there’s a fan somewhere to stir the air some.
Citizen Alan
How do you add pictures to this thing? I want to show off my first attempt.Had a buche de noel. Eat your heart out, mary berry.
zhena gogolia
@Citizen Alan: You can’t — you have to send them to a front-pager.
Timill
@Citizen Alan: Put them on a website (eg Flickr) and add a linky.
TBone
Only set off two smoke alarms this year, I’m slipping hahahaha! Poor kittehs do not like (nothing burned, just the roasting pan got a lil’ smoky). Yorkshire Pudding in 12 muffin tin up next – that requires a steady hand or a grease fire will be next. Steady as she goes!
TBone
@Citizen Alan: fancy cool yule log!
Soonergrunt
My dad had the wall studs located and tiny marks on the baseboards so we’d put steel eyebolt anchors into the studs and then guy-wire the tree to the studs so that it stood up perfectly in spite of us.
As an adult, I’ve always had artificial trees so it wasn’t really a problem.
But this year, we’re having a small christmas and going to visit family next week so it’s a small 4-ft artificial tree.
Trapped Lurker
@tobie: we have a pellet stove as supplement to our expensive oil heat, and it’s great. The only drawback is that if the power goes out, the auger stops working, and the stove goes out ☹️
Spider-Dan
@Rose Judson: If you decorate the tree on Xmas Eve, when do you take it down? We always did the decorations in late Nov/early Dec, and the tree would come down in the first week of the New Year.
Gloria DryGarden
I used to just put a few pine branches in a vase, hang a few tiny ornaments on it, that was enough. Simple, gently festive, easy to clean up.
TBone
@Trapped Lurker: that’s when you auger!
TBone
@Gloria DryGarden: In my tiny condo I had no room for a tree, so I’d put a big, decorated wreath of fresh evergreens under the glass top of my coffee table (the glass top is held up on posts about 5″ over the box-like table from Ikea, and the whole thing is on “invisible” wheels). Then I’d put a candle, centered, on top of the glass. Voila! Fresh piney scent, beautiful candlelight, and no mess.
We make do!
Another Scott
ICYMI, beautiful message from Biden, along with a whirlwind tour of the White House – JoJoFromJerz (2:19 video link)
Best wishes,
Scott.
Gloria DryGarden
@TBone: very fancy!
making do, absolutely.
I replied to you also over on the morning thread today.
Have a very merry.
I’ll listen for your happy dinner moans over the caramelized rosemary onions, the fancy potatoes and roast, and yummy etcetera.
arrieve
Feliz Natal and Merry Christmas to all. I hope all jackals are having a wonderful day.
I am in Rio for four days, and today is the first day it didn’t rain. I took a swim, then read by the pool for a few hours, and got a lovely sunburn on the tops of my feet because I forgot to apply sunscreen there.
I lost my sunglasses on a tour of Tijaca National Park yesterday and of course everything is closed today, including the gift shop in the hotel. But it occurred to me that if they have vendors selling bikinis on Copacabana Beach (and they do, although I remain confused about why you would wait until you were already at the beach to buy one) I might be able to find someone selling sunglasses. And I did. He wanted 200 reals (about $30) but I only had 130 and he took that and wished me a Feliz Natal. And so I got to have my pool day, which would have been impossible without sunglasses.
My Christmas dinner was chicken soup from room service because that’s what I felt like having and I’m on vacation, dammit!
TBone
@Gloria DryGarden: Thank you, I am stuffed fat and happy, playing with the neighbors’ young Golden Retriever to keep awake after such a spread. Wearing the red Santa cowboy slash bush hat with white fur rim that lights up with blinky lights. Scared the dog at first hahaha!
I hope your day was mahvelous too, dahlink!
TBone
Awww, Jill -n- Joe such a handsome pair!
https://bsky.app/profile/fancysplace.bsky.social/post/3le5xmbrlmk2u
TBone
“All I’m saying is that you rarely see a person crying and eating pie at the same time.”
https://bsky.app/profile/fancysplace.bsky.social/post/3le5xioyikk2g
TBone
Larry the Cat has a ‘toon
https://bsky.app/profile/number10cat.bsky.social/post/3le5sxzieas2i
JMG
My grown children are doing the cooking, which is in its final stages (turkey and a wide array of vegetables). I’m sipping champagne and posting, because our toddler grandson has decided to run around a different room of the house.
eclare
@TBone:
I think I’m going to make those onions for NYE, along with some chicken recipe. Honestly with something that rich, a plain roasted chicken will do.
Not a big rosemary fan, I may try it with garlic.
Nukular Biskits
Ate the Christmas Gumbo. It was Ms. Biskits’ first time making gumbo. Turned out pretty good. Followed it up with a piece of sweet potato pie and then apple pie a la mode.
And, since the talk is about Kwimma Twees, I’ll repost this little anecdote about using live trees:
And, at the office, I improvised. Instead of a tree, I did this:
https://bsky.app/profile/nukularbiskits.bsky.social/post/3le5rxy2zv223
narya
Sitting around, stuffed to the gills. The crown roast of pork was delicious, as were the cheesy cauliflower and roasted potatoes. The brioche rolls I made with the six leftover egg yolks came out well. We also had some salad (next door neighbor brought it; mom invited her to join us) and then a chocolate almond cake with strawberries and vanilla ice cream. I even made mom take down her Christmas dishes to use–she loves to use them, but hasn’t in awhile, because they have to be washed by hand. I told her that I’d do the washing, and I kind of insisted on the dishes: I could not possibly care less, but I knew it would make her happy to have them on the table.
mrmoshpotato
@eclare: An empty bag of onions with a cat in it? :)
Geminid
@Gloria DryGarden: Hey Gloria, Merry Christmas!
I was thinking about the documentery Kedi (2016) and it occurred to me that you might like it. “Kedi” means “cat” in Turkish:
This from the from the copy accompanying the movie trailer, which calls the movie:
Wikipedia describes how Director Ceyda Turun and partners used special equipment to film the cats from ground level, looking over the cats’ shoulders, so to speak as they go about their cat business. The film makers intitially folled 19 cats but ended up focusing on seven which were named San, Duman, Bengü, Ganiz, Parçasi, Psikopat, and Deniz.
Besides documenting the cars’ lives, the filmakers interviewed Istanbul humans about the cats in their neighborhoods, and used drone-mounted camerars to capture views of the city they all live in.
Ms. Turun won the Critics Choice award for Best First Documentary for her work on Kedi. The award for Most Compelling Living Subject of a D1ocumentary went to “The Cats of Istanbul.”
Ceyda Torun spent her early years in Istanbul, then her family moved to Amman, Jordan when she was eleven. Turun later came to the US where she earned a degree in Anthropology at Boston University. Then she went back to Europe to study filmaking and came up with the idea of a documentary about her native city’s cats.
eclare
Did anyone catch Beyonce? She puts on a show, did not disappoint.
eclare
@mrmoshpotato:
That would be…weird?
prostratedragon
… And furthermore, Happy Hanukkah!
Greetings from Rep. Jasmine Crockett:
Gloria DryGarden
@Geminid: how cool. I knew about the cats, but I would love to see this documentary! Maybe I’ll look it up tonight. Merry Christmas to you as well!
Pollyanna sends his greetings to you and everybody.
I think I commented in the endings of several threads today.
Geminid
@Gloria DryGarden: If you watch Kedi please let me know your evaluation if you care to.
And while it may be a little late for Christmas greetings, please let PollyannaFH I wish him a Happy New Year. I hope it will be a happy one for us all.
Liminal Owl
@Geminid: That sounds absolutely lovely. We’ll be looking for it, with many thanks.
sab
@Spider-Dan: The tree should come down by Twelfth Night (aka Epiphany.) My mother believed leaving any sign of Christmas decorations after that would bring bad luck.
Gloria DryGarden
@Geminid: I’ll pass it on tomorrow when I call him.
indeed, for all of us, may our lights and our hearts remain steady and warm, and may the coming year have much good in it.
Gloria DryGarden
@Geminid: hey, I have it ad free on Kanopy, the library streaming service. So far, just the trailer has made me cry from the adorable sweetness.
pretty sure that one cat’s name is “psychopath”
have you seen the trailer? “Dogs think people are god. Cats don’t”.
love it.
Gloria DryGarden
@Geminid:
@Liminal Owl: the movie Kedi was sweet. If I watch it again, I think I’ll watch in 20-30 minute segments, just to break it up. Not an action film, but spot on about cats and our feelings toward them. It was delightful. An hour and 20 minutes, it started to drag on, like too many servings of dessert. But absolute kitty love.