[QUOTE=Barefoot;
I'll venture a guess - you haven't changed![/QUOTE]
I bet the green bean was last year.:jester:

Sorry for the long post...the topic brought back some memories.

Frank[/QUOTE]

Don't ever apologize for a post like that, it was just wonderful and brought back many happy memories for me too! Thank you.

I will add that one year our oldest son decided to go out into the woods and cut the Christmas tree. He and his little brother brought home the saddest little tree (all the branches were on one side) you have ever seen. We told him it was beautiful, he and his brother decorated it with many home and school made decorations and it was BEAUTIFUL. When we came down here I gave them all their home made ornaments and they still use them. Great memories!

Now they are both successful and their tree and the gifts are from high end stores, but I often wonder if they get the enjoyment that we got from our "home made" days.

For years we had a tradition of tagging our tree at a local tree farm in like July...the very first family to tag a tree every year. This was because we were so picky and did not want to fight crowds and brush snow off dozens of trees looking for the perfect tree. The owners of the tree farm loved it and would start looking up the mountain for a few dozen red bows and our waterproof tag on our tree.

My father in law would also get his tree there, although he always waited and did what most folks do...find it and cut it the same day.

He was well known in the community (and a forestry major). One year as a joke I found the ugliest tree and tagged it with his name on it. Tons of folks saw it and laughed. When they would see him in town, they told him they liked his tree this year. He did not know what they were talking about.

It was a well received good natured joke.

I know this thread is about Nativity scenes. Sorry if I want off topic.

Frank