Helping others have a Merry Christmas

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today. And weepy. Sometimes, when I'm feeling down, I focus on some of the delightful surprises I've had in my life. Which brings me to The Christmas Tree.

"We just can't afford one," my husband, Jim said, as we perused the lot of Christmas trees. 

"But the kids will be so disappointed," I countered. 

"They'll just have to understand."

He was right. Money was tight and a Christmas tree was not a necessity. The girls were young enough to not really know the difference anyway. Still, I looked longingly at the fluffy firs and  elegant white pines, imagining them adorned with lights and homemade ornaments. 

We scraped by to provide our daughters with gifts to put under our non-tree. I was grateful for what we had, but the absence of the tree put a damper on my holiday spirit. And then, the phone rang.

"This is Sandy, from Clinton Tree Farm," the voice said. "We have a tree here for you." 

She proceeded to recite their hours and told me we could pick it up anytime they were open. What she wouldn't tell me is who bought the tree. 

To this day, I have no idea who gifted us with such a blessing that year. But I've always been grateful.


Do you want to help make a difference in the life of someone who is about to have a lean Christmas of their own? Community Human Services Holiday Gift Drive in partnership with Pittsburgh Tweetup, a group I'm involved with, is looking for kind, giving people like you who would like to brighten someone's holiday. 

Please help us make the holidays special for 200 children and adults in Pittsburgh by supporting the 2013 CHS Holiday Gift Drive. They seek to provide a small gift for a local individual or family using the services of one of their programs. For many, this will be the only gift they receive during the holidays, and often these gifts are practical, useful, and accessible. And, they give help each person have a bit brighter winter from a warm coat to a piece of cookware to a fun toy.

To learn more about the CHS: Holiday Gift Project and how you can get involved, visit http://bit.ly/CHSHoliday2013 

Together, we can make the holidays a bit merrier,

Keeping it green at Christmas Part 5: O Christmas tree

There's a lot of debate over which way to go when it comes to Christmas trees. Do you cut down a fresh tree, in the prime of its life, for your own decorative pleasures? Do you purchase an artificial tree, made up of chemicals and plastics that are harmful to the environment during the manufacturing process? Let's face it -- there are pluses and minuses whichever way you go. The greenest solution is to buy a balled tree which can be replanted at the end of the season.

If you opt for a freshly cut tree, find a local farm that raises pesticide-free trees and make sure you arrange for recycling your tree. Some communities use the trees for sand and soil erosion barriers, fish feeders, bird feeders, mulch and more. Contact your local recycling company for more information.

If you already have an artificial tree and decide you no longer want it, donate it to a local thrift store or check with area community theater groups or schools to see if they have a need for one.

Whichever choice you make, let me make one suggestion. Don't buy into the 'politically correct' hype. It's a CHRISTMAS tree. Period. And you don't have to apologize to anyone for calling it what it is.

Keeping it green,

Hana