The Star Spangled Tree

Every year, a day or two before Christmas Eve, I would go shopping for a tree. One year I found a seven foot tree for half price. It was still pretty expensive because it had been wired to stay in a perfect shape, attached to a its own tree stand, and flocked to look like it was covered with snow.

Then I got an emergency assignment to shoot a video over the Christmas holidays. So the tree was delivered and put into the garage because I was too busy to decorate it. Plus my kids were going skiing with their dad on Christmas night, so i just left it there.

Until July.  Hey, it cost a lot of money.  And the flocking acted as a preservative.

Then I got an idea.  I went to the hardware store and bought four cans of cranberry red spray paint.  And I sprayed the tree bright red. Then I staked it out on the front lawn and covered it with little Italian lights. Then I cut out huge paper stars in blue and white and hung them all over the tree.

On the Fourth of July little kids were walking by the house with their families on the way to the parade.  As they passed, they became so excited about the Star Spangled tree. "Look Mommy, a Fourth of July tree." People came back to take pictures of it. So I kept it up all weekend. Lights twinkling and everything. It was so dumb to save that tree. A fire hazard, you name it. I'm glad I kept it around though. And found something for it to do.

I even think I saw it smiling.