A confession, or two

Three years ago we converted our two-car garage into a rec/entertaining room. We do most of our entertaining in that room, and so every year at this time I start thinking how nice it would be to have a small, simple Christmas tree next to our 10-ft. farm table. I harbor visions of a Christmas dinner in which the only lights are those coming from candles of the table setting and the white lights of a Christmas tree. The problem? Here's confession number one, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this: we already have three Christmas trees.

Yup. Three. I never, ever planned on three trees; it just happened. We have a huge tree for our family room, a small tree ($11 at a Target post season sale) in the boys' room which they decorate with football cards, and another tree that I use for my old glass ornaments. So, with three trees I absolutely refused to absolutely even think about buying another tree.

Then, this past weekend my husband and I went to chat with a neighbor who was having a moving sale. And I saw it: an Alpine Christmas tree (a tall, slim tree, sometimes called a pencil tree) that was $15, pre-lit! What's a girl to do when the tree of her dreams lands in her lap? So here's confession number two: I bought it. And the miracle of the whole thing is that my husband voiced no complaints whatsoever about yet another tree; I mean, he didn't even roll his eyes! I love that man!

So, one tree up, three to go . . .