Going Natural (or How a Cat Got Us Off Track and a Dog Corrected the Matter)

Back in the good old days of the "M" family, it was a real Christmas tree all the way!  Every year. 

Love the smell!  Love the feel!!  Even love the ever-dropping, vacuum clogging needles.

And then into our lives came a cat.  A cat with a Christmas problem.  Vienna loved gnawing on real Christmas tree needles . . . juicy, crunchy, pungent with Christmas smell.  Only problem was, her tummy couldn't take it, and she quickly vomited it up.

And so that was her Christmas . . . irresistible urge to partake . . . undeniable urge to vomit.  On living room carpet, corners or couches, and at the puddling bottom of long draperies.

Since this was clearly not going to work, out went the soul-satisfying ideal of the real Christmas tree and in  came a steady procession of artificial Christmas trees . . . complete with whole sections of pre-lit branches that wouldn't light, a steady shedding of PVC needles, and the annual stuffing of the 9.5' tree into a box clearly made for it's 6.5' foot cousin.

Last year, seeing as the cat was no longer with us, the dogs took things into their own strong paws. 

While we were away at a Christmas party one evening, the dogs apparently had had their fill of Christmas.  It appears that one dog may have gotten his leash wrapped around the base of the tree.  And then in a fit of panicked angst fought the Christmas tree for his freedom.

When we came home, the giant tree was languishing on its side, large chunks of its PVC green-ness crushed and bent, and the newly purchased stand with all four of its tough green legs snapped off cleanly.

What had been started by a cat had now been finished by a dog.

So, this year found the "M" family happily purchasing a one-time-use-only, real Christmas tree . . . complete with smell, feel, and dropping needles.

Mmmmmmm.

The shop trimmed it, bagged it, and stuck in all the trimmed goodness to tuck into corners,

on top of the refrigerator,

and coming down the bannister.

 Sometimes it just takes a dog to put things to rights.