Sunday, December 18, 2016

The holiday tree

Speaking of IKEA, our real fake holiday tree is Swedish. Several years ago I gave up on cut trees in favor of this artificial one. I haven't looked back. It's easy, clean, looks good, and I don't have to water it. On the other hand, it doesn't smell like a cut tree. But I have enough of that outdoors; we have three fir trees on our property and are surrounded by dozens more.

The tree is ready.

This year the lights are all white because I put the colored lights outside on the house. It's good to change things up a little (but not too much). I went to the market yesterday and placed an order for our Christmas bird. This year we'll be roasting un chapon de pintade (a capon of guinea fowl). A capon is a young, castrated rooster, very good for roasting. I'll pick it up at the Christmas Eve market next Saturday. I also ordered our dessert from the local baker: a yule log cake with coffee flavored pastry cream. Now all we have to do is wait for Puppy Claus (he's comin' to town).

15 comments:

  1. How do you castrate a cockerel?
    Its bits are up its bum!!

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    1. I think they might usually be castrated chemically.

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  2. I wanted to say how good the tree looks with your 'old' favourite decorations, but I got a bit distracted with LaPré's comment. (Or should that be the comment of LaPré ?)

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  3. The tree looks very nice. It is very easy to not bother, but good to see you do, as do we.

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  4. It looks wonderful. I found really authentic smelling pine candles one year and placed them near our fake tree. It helped me believe.

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  5. not on the artificial bandwagon yet....but in this yr of potential "drought" trees, I was tempted...but ours is holding up so far......just another week to go......

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  6. p.s. Oh, YES! That's the wonderful artwork you did of your house... that I referred to the other day :)

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  7. My partner likes to cook capons too. He says it is better than a chicken yet not too big for two people.

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  8. I think I spy an Eiffel Tower ornament similar to ours - and likely on many a francophile's tree!

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  9. I love your star at the top of your tree.

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  10. That's a very nice tree. It's just not-perfect enough that it looks like a real one, and your decorations are lovely.
    Now I want an Eiffel Tower ornament, too.

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  11. I've got that Eiffel tower, too. Puppy Claus?

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  12. tim, I'm not sure I want to know...

    potty, thanks! This is year 4 for the tree.

    andrew, living in the northern (or southern in your case) latitudes, it helps with the dark days.

    mitch, that's a good idea!

    melinda, I never thought I'd have an artificial tree. Then I turned 50...

    judy, thanks! Yes, you did. I drew that back in the first years we were here.

    michael, true. Even turkeys here are not the huge birdzilla types you find in the US.

    kiwi, yes!

    gosia, it's new this year!

    emm, the tower came from the museum shop at the San Francisco Palace of the Legion of Honor in 1998. I'll wager it's an item that can be found many places in the US.

    evelyn, not surprised! Puppy Claus comes with treats for all the dogs that have been good each year. I think he flies around in a sleigh pulled by cats. He must have slipped in and out of your house when you weren't looking! ;)

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  13. I'mma stop by your house for some dee-lish food and to see puppy claus!

    santa cat visits our home.

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