home, farm, & garden by Joanna Radford
Memories of Traditions Past Do you have childhood memories you still hold close? Did you participate in family traditions growing up that you can remember like it was yesterday? I do, especially this time of year. I can see us now, my little sister and brother, my mama and daddy, and me, all wrapped up in old toboggans and overcoats striking out to find the most beautiful Christmas tree ever. We did this every year. Several weeks before Christmas, Daddy would decide we needed to find the perfect tree. The one that would top the year before. He knew just where to go to find this prize tree, in the woods behind my grandma's house. Off we would go, walking the entire way. We would trek through our yard, cross the dead-end dirt road, and go through my grandma's yard. Once through the yard, we were faced with an electric fence. Mama and Daddy could always step over it. We kids would get as low to the ground as possible and crawl under. One year I did not get low enough. The fence scraped down my back. Did I mention this fence was electric? Let's just say that I no longer felt the cold wind whipping around my ears and cheeks. I had a jolt that warmed me from my head to my toes. Once my tears dried, my excitement returned because I then remembered we were going to find the best tree ever. As we rushed through the pasture, I slipped and fell, and landed on a chestnut hull. The sharp spiny burs dug into my hand causing extreme pain. I wondered if this tree was worth all of this. My daddy could not quit chuckling at my bad luck as he pulled the painful burs out of my hand. Despite the bumpy start, the rest of our journey went smoothly. We hiked down the hill and up the second hill of the cow pasture where we finally reached the woods. There we would stand staring into the dark thicket, anticipating the hunt. Each of us would spot a tree and the others would critique it until we all agreed on that one perfect tree. It was quite a process. Now, the chopping and hacking began. In a short time, we headed out of the woods with our prize in tow. We all were excited and chatted all the way home. Once home, a little more whittling occurred on the lower limbs of our tree to make it fit perfectly in the tree stand. The moment we had been waiting for came when Daddy placed it in its usual spot in front of the window for the world to see. And then, just like every single year, it happened. We noticed our perfect tree had a "hole" on one entire side. We twisted and turned the tree in all directions to hide the hole. We hung ornaments in an attempt to hide the humongous bare area. Just like years past, 12 • SURRY LIVING Dec. 2021 Issue
we were not successful. We threw up our hands and made one final twist of the tree to try to hide the unsightly side. Yes, another year and another Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. Year after year this happened. We wanted the perfect tree. We searched for the perfect tree. We never found the perfect tree. What we did find was something even more perfect. Our time spent together and the precious memories we made will never be forgotten. And, for that I am thankful. If you are looking for an opportunity to make memories now is a great time to begin. Create a new tradition with the ones you love. There are over 300 family-owned "Choose and Cut" Christmas tree farms in North Carolina. Many of them offer experiences for the entire family. In addition to their Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, and bows, some farms have hayrides, photos with Santa Claus, meet and greet farm animals, warm fires, hot cocoa, hot cider, and more. A listing of Ashe County tree farms can be found at https://ashecountychristmastrees.com/docs/choose-cut-2021.pdf There are also several tree farms in nearby Alleghany County. Among them are Edwards Tree Farm – edwardsfamilyfarms. com/, Lil' Grandfather Choose & Cut – lilgrand.com/, RiverHill Tree Farm – riverhilltreefarm.com/, and Papa Goats Tree Farm – www.facebook.com/PapaGoatsTreeFarm/ You can obtain a current list from the Alleghany Chamber of Commerce. Before going to a tree farm, check with each individual farm for hours of operation as they often change depending on the weather or other circumstances. Enjoy making memories!
