Red and Green Christmas Tree

Yesterday I noticed something strange about our Christmas tree. It had changed colors. It was green.

(not the best photo: taken in bright sun.)

Of course, what had been more surprising was that when it brought in it was reddish brown. Steve kept complimenting it, saying how unusual and beautiful an Eastern Red Cedar was as a Christmas tree. How great to have a red Christmas tree, not the usual old green.

Outside in mid-December, picking a tree from the tree nursery, I had liked the shape and size of this tree best, but not the color or “needle shape so much. It was a compromise. I couldn’t deny this tree was softer than the Colorado spruce nearby.

Once inside, the tree drank a lot of water. It drinks up about 2 quarts a day. At the beginning it was particularly thirsty.

We don’t have many ornaments. Our usual tree is a silver number from 1965 and it holds only lightweight balls, no lights or ornaments. I had saved some over the years, not many as I seldom had a tree and moved a lot. A few had just made their way to the Christmas box, including this dough ornament made by our niece Sophia of Lil Wayne the rapper. You can see the redness of the needles in this shot.

Well, turns out it was probably coming out of dormancy! We’ve all seen those red (brown) cedars along the road that are shaggy and dormant all winter. But yesterday when I went up to it during the day I noticed it was looking really alive. Particularly better than it had since it first arrived. The top branch still flopped over, but the tree was bright green. And not a single needle had fallen the whole three weeks it’s been inside.

Not exactly a Christmas miracle, but a great way to end the year– something that was dormant getting so lively. I bought this felt chickadee ornament at the birdseed store and hung it up.

And of course, I identify greatly. I’m coming out of dormancy myself these days. Finally starting to taste sweets, get more energy, concentrate longer on more difficult things. Made a lot of food this holiday and had a good time. Though looking forward to a quiet night tonight, just Steve and me and a good dinner. He’s requested potato wedges and we can do that!