There’s not much leeway for Christmas trees in our cottage. This is mostly because the two main living rooms have multiple doorways. We ummed and ah-ed about getting a small one, and then one morning as we were walking home from a spot of shopping, there beside the old railway line at the junction with Sheinton Street was a crashed Wellingtonia branch, the result of high wind events in early December. So that solved the problem. For one thing it was flat. Two dimensional dressing only, which meant it would fit in the corner of the kitchen.
The branch was hauled home, trimmed and propped with rocks inside a coconut sellers’ basket that had come back with us from Kenya twenty odd years ago. It was then sited in the chosen position where it did indeed fit. Just. Lights and decorations were unearthed, and it was then that certain limitations were encountered. When it came to suspending decorations, the individual small stems along the branch were neither robust nor numerous. They were also more vertical than horizontal. What to do? The in-house stock of lightweight knick-knackery was soon exhausted, leaving us, I felt, with a rather sparse effort, festively speaking. More red was needed, and that’s how a trip to the allotment polytunnel resolved matters. Chillis, large and small, were duly harvested. And the whole effort topped with a red ribbon. So there we have it; our make-do ‘tree’.
Wishing Everyone A Happy Problem-Solving New Year
Tish Farrell 
LOL..It is the thought that counts. I have had several charlie Brown trees in the past but yours turned out pretty well.
It’s been giving us a few smiles anyway 🙂
Clever! And did you use the chilies to spice up the turkey?
Our tree is now too big and especially too heavy to be brought in the house so these days it remains outside and decorated with solar powered lights.
No more grunting and groaning or bazillions of pine needles over the carpet!
That sounds like an excellent notion – outside tree – but then you’ve got summer! And we’ve got downpours. Chillies to be consumed later. Happy 2022.
Lovely story
Thank you.
Chile’s! That’s like a New Mexico Tree! Well done.
Cheers, Thom.
Loving your ingenuity, Tish! Waste not, want not… It looks great, and I know you won’t go hungry in 2022! Good health and happiness, hon!
All the very best to you and Mick. Chin-chin!
This is they way. 🙂 Wishing you happy and healthy times ahead.
Many thanks, Manja. All good wishes reciprocated.
Grrr, I meant to say This is the way. But you knew that. 😀
I did! 🙂
gorgeous Christmas Tree!!!! Merry Christmas!
Thanks, lola. All the very best to you. And hope you are back on form.
Brilliant make-do decorations, Tish!
Thanks, Sue.
😊😊
That worked out well and I think it’s great. We don’t have any of that sort of tree here to do any scrounging. This year we “made do” with our small, artificial nature tree and since we love it, it wasn’t a trial at all. 🙂 When we eventually get family back for the holidays, we’ll be getting a real tree.
All the best to you and yours, Janet. There’s much to be said for artificial trees.
You turned a large branch into a wonderful Christmas tree!
Glad you like it, Jennie.
🙂
Very creative, Tish – crossword clue in The Week – “Duke in West Indies with first-class return”. The answer is in your first para although I cannot entirely explain it.
Ha! I get it. (I think) Wellingtonia! Duke ‘Ellington’ inside WI with ‘A’ for first class.
Perfect creativity – we also have a twig as our main tree this year, but ours isn’t even evergreen!!!
I was going to look for a twig. But then the wellingtonia provided.
Father Christmas obviously decided you had been a very good girl this year
Ha! What a very kind Father Christmas to think that 🙂
🤶🎅
Excellent. You have the perfect “Make Do and Mend” personality! Happy New Year Tish and HWMS!
Many thanks, Jude and all good wishes to you and OH.
Chillis warm the cockles of the heart of any Christmas tree – what a fabulously festive fir, Tish – hope you solve the problems of 2022 just as cleverly!
I shall work up to bigger problem solving slowly 😉
All the very best to you, Laura. I bet you’re thinking about your garden!
yes! champing at the bit whilst viewing a wintry muddy patch!
We’re ankle deep in muddiness too. The allotment looks completely drenched, sodden and squished.
longing for some crisp and cold and dry! Happy New Year to you and your allotment
Txx
It looks very pretty with all that red and the bright lights 🙂
Perfect solution. Best wishes for 2022 and hope the weather is being kind to you.
Best wishes to you too, Pauline. At the moment we are very drenched but not too chilly. In fact quite mild temps today.
Must be the hottest Christmas tree ever! Happy New Year Tish!
Tomorrow obviously – Sorry I’m getting ahead of myself.
I like that notion. The hottest Christmas tree ever.
Happy new year to you, James. We spent NY’s eve on Anglesey. Just got back.
Ah, the homeland of the Druids! Hope you had a great time.
We did, thanks, James. Paid the ancestors a few calls at their respective resting places.
A sequoia in your kitchen! Perhaps a branch, but still.
It’s done us proud!