Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

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A Christmas Memory 2007

  Christmastree

 

In France Christmas begins on Christmas Eve and continues twelve days until Epiphany. The moment before Christmas is called Advent which is a time to prepare the way for the feast of Christmas. But we all know that.

Growing up my Mom took Christmas down on the 26th. Christmas was a done deal. Packed up and stored in the closet until next year.

Lucky for me I was not considered "late" (in France) to put up our Christmas tree this weekend. It is a production to put up a Christmas tree, isn't it? First one must find the Christmas boxes that are stashed in the storage. Secondly, since our Christmas tree stands in a spot that usually occupies a large piece of furniture, the entire house had to be moved around so that it had its spot. The part that I enjoy is putting on the lights (NOT) and the ornaments (TRUE) which is lucky for me because in our home the tradition is:

That nobody wants to help… yet everyone wants Christmas they just don't want to help put it up.

Well, this weekend after I put the Christmas tree up with its million little vintage ornaments I stepped back singing "Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree how lovely are your branches…." when POW (!!!) the Christmas tree fell over. Smashing mercury glass ornaments everywhere. My heart sank. I was sad to sweep the broken ornaments into the bin.

Slowly, I remounted the Christmas tree and reconstructed the decor. Adding a bow here, a star there and feeling a tinge of sadness that some of my favorite ornaments had been smashed to smithereens. Finally, it was dolled up and looking festive again. I was relieved. I stepped back and…guess what… yes believe it… it fell a second time!

I swore like a crazy elf! A million big juicy swear words sorted out of my bouche (mouth) and it felt good. I called the Christmas tree an exceptionally juicy bad word. One that I do not want to write but I said it fervently a few times over. You know sometimes it helps to blow up, to spew bad words and let your face get contorted. It helps to let frustrations out is a safe way. I guess the Christmas tree's falling over allowed me an avenue to blow off steam.

I left the "F-ing" Christmas tree on the floor. When French Husband and the children came home they looked at the Christmas tree in shock then to me, "Mom, why is the Christmas tree on the floor?"

"Modern Art", is what I said.

This morning I put the Christmas tree upright and it is standing strong, a few bricks at the base helped.

Yes, even people who once lived in a monastery swear at times, even while preparing for Christmas.

Photo: Of the tree that dares not fall again.

Comments

20 responses to “A Christmas Memory 2007”

  1. Diogenes

    Your tree looks beautiful. Hope this year’s tree stays upright.

    Reply
  2. RebeccaNYC

    So, my friend purchased a very tall and very expensive christmas tree on the street here in NYC. She and her hubby took it home, and trimmed it with all their precious ornaments. BOOM, down it went. They cried and swept up the broken glass. Put it up again, and BOOM. Down again. They tried, they really did, but after struggling for 3 days with the f*&^ing tree, they finally gave up and took the tree to the curb and bought a new one. Within a few hours, they noticed that someone had taken the discarded tree..but the very next day…that tree had been kicked to the curb again. That tree did NOT want to anything to do with christmas. True story.

    Reply
  3. SousLeCharme

    This cracked me up! I too, swear a lot more during the holidays. However, it’s usually related to “la belle-famille”!
    Happy holidays to you!

    Reply
  4. Jeanne

    I had a tree fall down once and all our prized ornaments gone. I know the feeling.
    I love all of your postings.
    Merry Christmas dear Corey
    Much love to you all
    Jeanne

    Reply
  5. pjt

    Oh, those precious old German mercury ornaments!The tree looks lovely anyhow and it’s good to know that others share the “nobody wants to help..” tradition. Joyeux Noel!

    Reply
  6. Dd

    That’s why we tie ours to t wall. This year it looked like t leaning Tower of Pisa and needed to be tied in two places. Tuff year for trees!

    Reply
  7. Alan

    I am agreed with your Mom about Christmas. On December 26 I am over it. My reasons are selfish though. The 27th is my birthday and I don’t want to share it with that Jesus guy. As for the tree falling, I’ve had that happen twice also. Your heart sinks as you see the expensive ornaments smashed on the ground.
    http://tinleytime.blogspot.com/2008/12/next-year-hanukkah-bush.html

    Reply
  8. Sue

    I am sorry that your Christmas tree fell but it sure gave you reason to write a hilarious post. Thanks for the early morning laugh. Your tree looks beautiful. Here’s hoping it stays put. If not, you know how to put it in it’s place.

    Reply
  9. joyce

    I feel your pain since the same happened to me three years ago! So many special ornaments broken. Last week, as I was putting up the tree, my son asked what the plastic bags filled with coins were for. It may seem strange, but I tie several to the back of the tree to weight it down. Hasn’t fallen since, and I still don’t have to decorate the back! Merry Christmas Corey!

    Reply
  10. Ardi

    So sorry about your tree “fainting” and the broken ornaments. When we had dogs that would bother the tree, we had to guy-wire it to the wall. My solution to not having anyone want to help trim the tree, but wanted Christmas was to invite all the family I could pack in our little house to help. I fixed holiday finger foods and cookies galore. It has now become a tradition and it only takes about 15 minutes to trim the whole tree. I do go back and move things around to have the treasures (the children’s ornaments they made when they were little) to a prominent place. It is followed by us all gathering in front of the decorated tree for the time-delayed photo to document the occasion. The youngest member of the family present puts the angel on top of the tree – this year a one year old little girl who was fascinated with the light that reflected off the little angel. Merry Christmas to You and Yours.

    Reply
  11. Ali

    Love it!!
    Ali

    Reply
  12. Toni

    Great story!

    Reply
  13. Chris Wittmann

    We actually got a super nice tree (for once!) this year. I put it in a 5 gallon plastic bucket weighted down with bricks (and water of course), cover the bucket with pretty paper, and then we tie the tree to the beams in our ceiling to keep it straight and prevent the cats from knocking it down. We have a “young one” who may decide to climb the tree so we have to take extra precautions! Hoping the tree stays fresh looking till well after Christmas as we tend to leave it up for quite a while.

    Reply
  14. Jan D-M

    Remind me to tell you the string of words that flew out of my mouth long ago when I found a quilt top I’d been working on had a glaring mistake and I was going to have to take the whole thing apart and redo it. My college roommate almost died laughing so hard because she couldn’t believe it came out of my angelic (might be a stretch here) mouth. It’s now my naughty go-to mantra when things get really bad…like Christmas trees falling over with antique ornaments. (My heart hurts at your memory of that).

    Reply
  15. Sharon CS

    OK, my heart hurt for you when reading of your double tree disaster and your precious ornaments being smashed. While I’ve never had a tree fall, over the years I have broken several ornaments that were precious to me as well and a musical church that was passed down to me from my dear parents who are now in Heaven (I was devastated) but when I read your response of “Modern art” to your family, I laughed out loud!
    Merry Christmas to you and your family – and thank you for your blog! Reading it is one of the highlights of my days!

    Reply
  16. Darlene Schueler

    Twice no less! Your modern art response was perfect. Once in early 60s my family lived in Hawaii. The trees had been cut months earlier, packed in ice in ships. By the time we get them, they are flat. Mother bought three, bound them together to make one round tree AND tied them to a nail in the wall. My dad was not thrilled with making the nail hole in his wall! But we had a happy time.

    Reply
  17. lanmangina@me.com

    Such a pretty tree! Is this the tree circa 2007 or 2017? Has she made her appearance? Your house is ornamented all year round beautiful things to look at everywhere!

    Reply
  18. Momof5

    Getting in late to the conversation and I feel your pain as this happened to me
    A couple of years ago smashing almost every beautiful ornament I’d been given as a child and my children had been given and collected in our travels overseas. I was heart
    Sick, swore and then cried @ the loss. Also my kids never wanted to help either. So sorry about your tree.

    Reply
  19. Mardog

    LMAO!

    Reply
  20. gayle

    I would cry over the ornaments, although I have enough for 3 trees.

    Reply

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