Christmas Tree Shopping With Dad

Written by my friend Roosevelt Spence

My dad is really great at finding the perfect Christmas tree.

We always go out to this store he found years ago. They have both live and artificial trees, but Dad always gets a live one. He says the fake trees always get messed up when you store them. I don't know much about that, but I do know that every Christmas, we have had the best tree in the neighborhood; I guess Dad knows what he is talking about.

I enjoy going with him to look for a tree; we make a day of it. He'll set the home security alarm from CLICK and we go to a really nice restaurant to have some lunch. I love the sandwiches they serve there. Then we head to the tree place, where he will look over every single tree they have.

He takes his time looking at the branches, shaking them to see if any needles fall off. He says that every tree has what he calls a “dead spot,” the side of the tree that the branches are not as full. He's also really good about telling which trees will last the season.

We're already making plans to go again this year. I think I am looking forward to one of those sandwiches the most.