This time of year is always one of my favorite, because it reminds me of my grandpa. My grandpa had a nickname, "Treeman" because in the small town of Mt. Holly North Carolina , he was the "man" when it came to selling Christmas trees. And everyone who was anyone bought a Christmas tree from him, I don't know how did it, but he remembered everyone who came to see him at Christmas time....or he was really good at faking it!
As long as I can remember the day after Thanksgiving was not one of shopping to get the best deals at the mall, it was spent "shopping" for the best Christmas trees in the mountains of North Carolina. I can remember some years my daddy going with my grandpa to pick up the trees. I can remember all of my "family" who came to the tree lot, there was "Red" Pattterson, "Uncle" John Hope, my Uncle Ray and his wife Judy and people I didn't see any other time during the year I would get to see at the tree lot...but those were my favorite.
Some of my best childhood memories come from hanging out with my grandpa at the tree lot, because I didn't really get to spend that much time with him other than at Christmas, well not quality time anyway. I can remember just running around the Christmas trees and standing in front of the fire, eating homemade cakes and drinking coffee. As I got older I was able to help more, although they never let me run the chainsaw.......I wonder why? I can remember one Christmas we decorated wreaths with pine cones and bows and my grandpa manned the glue gun and my mom and I were the brave ones manning the pinecones and bows. We had such fun!!!!
As long as I can remember the day after Thanksgiving was not one of shopping to get the best deals at the mall, it was spent "shopping" for the best Christmas trees in the mountains of North Carolina. I can remember some years my daddy going with my grandpa to pick up the trees. I can remember all of my "family" who came to the tree lot, there was "Red" Pattterson, "Uncle" John Hope, my Uncle Ray and his wife Judy and people I didn't see any other time during the year I would get to see at the tree lot...but those were my favorite.
Some of my best childhood memories come from hanging out with my grandpa at the tree lot, because I didn't really get to spend that much time with him other than at Christmas, well not quality time anyway. I can remember just running around the Christmas trees and standing in front of the fire, eating homemade cakes and drinking coffee. As I got older I was able to help more, although they never let me run the chainsaw.......I wonder why? I can remember one Christmas we decorated wreaths with pine cones and bows and my grandpa manned the glue gun and my mom and I were the brave ones manning the pinecones and bows. We had such fun!!!!
In our house growing up there was a Christmas tree, of some kind, in every room. It isn't any wonder why the smell of evergreen puts me so at ease. 
We were blessed to get Amelia Grace's 1st Christmas tree from my Grandpa's tree lot, but the following July 4th my grandpa passed away. It is bittersweet to drive by that same place and not see Christmas Trees, but to remember the man that I did not know a lot of when I was young, except at Christmas time. But when I got older is when I think he truly realized how much I loved him, and I realized just how much he had always loved me...and we both realized just how much alike we truly were.
We were blessed to get Amelia Grace's 1st Christmas tree from my Grandpa's tree lot, but the following July 4th my grandpa passed away. It is bittersweet to drive by that same place and not see Christmas Trees, but to remember the man that I did not know a lot of when I was young, except at Christmas time. But when I got older is when I think he truly realized how much I loved him, and I realized just how much he had always loved me...and we both realized just how much alike we truly were.
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