I had a 3 foot Christmas tree that i stored in the shed during the summer months. The stand got a bit melted and warped under the weight of the tree. The thing wouldn’t stand up anymore. It was such a hassle to keep upright around the dogs that i just quit putting it out. It became a storage device for the ornaments. This year i was determined to have a standing tree so i went to one of the big chain stores and got a 25 dollar pre-lit mini tree. I transferred all the ornaments over and suddenly we had a functional standing tree. Every year i add an ornament. This year’s ornament is an elephant for the African elephant i “adopted” in kenya earlier this year. I am aware that thousands of us “adopted” her (sponsored really) because we’re all too broke to really donate the amount it takes to sustain an orphaned elephant, but thousands of us together can manage to donate a little bit and when a little bit adds up the elephant is looked after and we all get updates on her daily adventures and growth. For now, our house is cozy with the glow of christmas lights on the tree. All the animals have had their piece of thanksgiving turkey. Its starting to feel a bit like winter.