WRITINGS & RAMBLINGS OF MELANIE NEER: Yes Melanie, There Is A Santa Claus

Yes Melanie, There Is A Santa Claus

I originally wrote this as a "Note" over at my Facebook profile on December 24, 2016

Ever since I can remember, going way back to my childhood, there has always been that Christmas tree, a real one. While I would love the presents I would find on Christmas morning, it was that real tree I loved the most, and yes, it would always be a real tree, never an artificial one. I have no idea where my mother would get a tree each and every year, but it did seem to “magically” be there in our apartment near Christmas time.

As years passed, and I became older, I became the official tree getter. I was to continue the “tradition” of getting that real tree, and if you wonder why our family never got an artificial tree was more due to practicality; in our small apartment, there just plain wouldn’t have been any space to store an artificial tree.

For a good long time, I would say for at least twenty years, there was a place within a relatively short walking distance that I would go to and pick out that tree. Then one year, the family that had sold the trees at that same place seemed to have vanished. I was lucky however, in that I found yet another place, a bit further away, but still within walking distance and near a local florist shop that sold trees. Many more years were to pass and I then found the convenience of the various Christmas Tree Farms on-line and one could order a tree and it would be delivered to me.

Well then came 2016 and Christmas was zooming up rather fast and I was quite frankly getting very depressed. Why? It was looking as though this would be the very first time in my entire life I just plain wouldn’t have a tree at all. I just didn’t have the extra money to get one. Yes, I know, it probably does sound silly. Here I am a grown woman, and it shouldn’t have bothered me so much that I wouldn’t have a tree, but I guess it was the kid in me that really wanted one. I had even mentioned to a few of my Facebook friends about my not having that tree this year.

Then someone decided to play “Santa Claus”. On December 13th one of my Facebook friends Bernie Colley messaged me with a link to a place called Christmas Tree Brooklyn. He told me to go ahead and order a tree, once I did, I should tell him what the total cost would be and he would then “paypal” me the money to me. I have to admit, I hesitated a bit. He seemed rather insistent though that I order a tree, and so I did the next day. My tree arrived on Sunday, December 18th. Here’s almost the “funny” part of it. Number one: how the heck he found that Christmas Tree Brooklyn, I’ll never know as I had in the past tried to find Christmas Tree places in the past not so far away; some of those on-line Christmas Tree Farms I found and had used in the past were in places like Michigan. I too had tried to find places closer by to me. He did tell me he did do a google search of places in the NYC area...I’m in Queens, and Christmas Tree Brooklyn delivers trees throughout the NYC area. And here’s the the punchline...the real “funny” part...Bernie is in the UK!

Bernie, who happens to be a gifted poet even wrote one of his great poems about the tree:

Santa paws dropped off a tree

much to the great delight

of a girl called Melanie

who is happy tonight

What she doesn't know is how

her friends all rallied round

to make her smile and really know

how a gift to her was found

Step forward santa paws

aka bernie

who wanted to support this cause

and did so with much glee

So now you know that you were part

of a small conspiracy

and it is with welcome heart

that we give to you this tree

Have great fun in decorating

and watch that dratted cat

who is in the wings and waiting

the ornaments to bat

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I’ve since decorated my tree a bit more than in this photo, as I had only put the lights on the day it was delivered to me, and do hope to get another photo of the tree. To be honest, I really don’t decorate the tree all that much, as I prefer basking in the beauty of the tree itself, my “mini’forest”. Oh and yes, my cat Ouija approves of the tree and have caught him snoozing under it; I think he enjoys the mini-forest also and he’s been on his best behavior...no disasters....uh, yet.

So yes, Melanie, there is a Santa Claus

Thank you Bernie :-)