I've gone green and red

Everything about the Christmas season makes me happy. As we know from a recent post.
So, I took it upon myself to decorate for Christmas. Yes, I know it has yet to pass halloween.
I have, however, decided that I am not a Halloween fan, I would much rather have three months of the Christmas season than one of Halloween and one of thanksgiving.

My motto isn't to just "go green" but to "go green and red!!!"

I have yet to put up the tree but there is a place awaiting the arival of the main focus. We have an old balding fake tree that we have used for 4ish years. Before that, we always had real trees. We have decided to go back to a real tree and infuse our house with the wonderful smell of fresh pine. This, however, is a feat since trees don't last too long. We have decided to get a tree from a nursery and plant it after Christmas but even a potted plant, will it survive the inside for that long?

Well, we shall just have to wait and see. But either way, I think I want to put tinsel on the tree. I always thought it was tacky, but I love how it looks in that picture of my childhood. I don't know though...?

Two of my favorite things

I love few things in this world.
The majority of the things on my love list are things that are unconditional, like my family. Anything else on the list, has had to make it through the thick barbed wire wall around my heart and has to work hard to stay in there.
Two of those things that have made it in and have never been kicked out....

Christmas Time

and

Cabbage Patch Dolls.


Without a doubt, these two loves of mine could make me happy on the worst of days.
Why do I love these things? Let's look into this a little more...

Christmas time has many variables of happiness:

• MUSIC- Constant Christmas music. For the most part Christmas music brings up Christ and his birth. I love the fact that living in the world we do, we can still hear about Christ as we drive to work and school. The few that don't mention Christ but focus on Santa are still happy because they stir up memories of a childhood that was so much more simple than "adult" life.
  
• SMELL- There are so many smells that are equated with Christmas. First and foremost, the smell of a fresh pine tree (just pretending to breath it in makes me fill with happiness). Peppermint is readily abundant during the Christmas season; it is put in baked goods, Starbucks hot chocolate, my bath and body works hand soap, candles... Pumpkin spice in a pie or in scented candles makes me feel warm and tingly inside. I could go on and on...
• CHIMES - the sound of giving and the official start of the season is when there are people standing out side the grocery store with a bell and a red hanging bucket collecting donations for the salvation army.
  
• GIVING- I love finding things that are special and meaningful to give those I love. It is fun to think of something unique that my siblings will get a kick out of. I also love being able to help those who are struggling {When I was a junior in High school, I was in charge of getting the gifts for a family that we adopted for Christmas. My good friend Camille and I went shopping with the donated money and we picked out things that we thought each of the children would like and need. We then wrapped them and delivered them. That was one of the most gratifying moments of my life. To see the love that this family felt for those who were willing to extend a helping hand. The smiles on their faces were priceless.}
• COLD - It never really gets cold here in Arizona, but for a full blood Arizonan who has never lived in a cooler climate, it is amazingly cold when it gets 50 degrees F out side. That is the one time of the year that I can use my cute coats, scarves, long sleeved shirts, and boots. (which consists of more than half of my wardrobe. You would think that since there are more summer months than winter ones, I would have more summer clothes, but alas I love my winter clothes!)
• SMILES
• SHOPPING
• BAKING
• EATING
• FAMILY
• LIGHTS
  

*** I AM GOING TO STOP HERE BUT I COULD GO ON...





Cabbage patch dolls:

• SMELL - I don't know why, but cabbage patch dolls have a distinct aroma that fills my soul with happiness.
• CUTENESS - just look at that doll, how cute is that.
  
• NOSTALGIA - I always had one of these as a child. {except for the brief period that one got its head ran over. Michael, my older brother, sneakily took my doll and put it under the tire of my dad's parked car. The next time my dad left, he ran over the poor things head. Thanks Michael!}

So, needless to say, if any one or anything wants to get into my heart they have to equal up to Christmas and cabbage patch dolls.

LEOPOLD LOVES TREES; i don't.

"The only conclusion I have ever reached is that I love all trees, but I am in love with pines" (Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. 70.)

I am in an environmental ethics class and I am reading this book about Leopold's views of nature.
I give credit to the man for being so charismatic about a subject. He uses the name of a plant as a proper noun. And the extensive knowledge Leopold has on the history of inhumane treatment of plants is amazing. I don't know how he found the time to research all of the stuff he talks about. It is interesting though.

However, when I came across the above mentioned quote, I realized that Leopold has never seen a palo verde tree. If he had his statement would have been more like "The only conclusion I have ever reached is that I love all trees (with the obvious exception of palo verde trees{which shouldn't even be considered a tree in the first place}), but I am in love with pines."


Isn't this thing just an eye sore? And here they put them everywhere. They must be cheep because whenever they redo a road or put in a new shopping complex, they always litter it with tons of Palos.






I for one love all trees that perform the task that they were made for; shading my car in the 116 degree heat. The Palo Verde tree doesn't accomplish this task, so therefor, is useless to me. It might as well not even be in existence. It is ugly, messy and doesn't provide any circumference of shade big enough to shade anyone or anything.

It might appear that this is giving a little shade to the red car, however, it is just deceiving you. No question about it. I park under one everyday thinking, "I can see the shade on the pavement so it has got to shade my car" WRONG!!!



I was just googling to find out what it even means and I got this as a hit:

How do you slowly kill a Palo Verde tree?

This person wants Palo Verde to suffer. It's like they wanted to higher a hit man to slowly pull Palo Verde's teeth, then poke it with scalding hot pokers, only to finish Palo Verde off with a dose of poison that would make it spill all of it's secrets before finally killing over. Leopold would hate this . . . we would never get along, Leopold and I.

And just to let you all know, Palo's name means green wood. How original!

Stupid thing, doesn't it know that it's trunk is supposed to be brown...?






It's just like how I do not and will not ever feel remorse for killing a cockroach. However, I do deem it inhumane to kill cats {however much I wish we didn't have two living in our house} or stuff pigs into tight cages just to fatten them up. I guess I can have some extremest feelings but I am not a true environmentalist, and never will be.

I might one day claim to be green but I never want to be in the same category as Palo here.

Quote:

"I've got my life in a suite case and I'm ready to run run run away.
I've got no time because I'm always trying to run run run away
cause everyday it feels like it's only a game, I've got my life in a suit case."