Before I get busy with all the Christmas hoo haaa I thought Id share the share the legend of the “Outside Tree” and how the whole thing started. Thank you Meghan for reminding me. This is a McGlone story passed on from older brothers and sisters, Nana and Papa. It is steeped in sentimentality, and as in all good stories maybe not all is exactly and completely true, but it’s the way I remember it being told to me, it’s the way I remember growing up, so don’t revoke my poetic license and forgive me if my old woman’s memory is faltered……… Once upon a time in a small house on a long dirt road in a world so far far away (OK Meaghan that was my lame Star Wars reference just for YOU) lived Bob and Rose and a parcel of little rascals. Bob was a simple guy with simple ideas. He did not how ever always do the logical thing, the practical thing or the easiest to clean up after thing. Rose was much more practical, much more logical and thoroughly female. The house was smaller than average and the family was much larger than most. This meant two or three to a bed, crowded bedrooms, not enough space for regular living let alone Christmas trees and such. Rose had requested and this year was determined to have a nice sweet small sit up on top of the table artificial (no shedding, no fuss, no mess) tree. That was Rose’s wish. Bob and the parcel of rascals were not in agreement with this idea. As tradition dictates Bob took the rascals to get a tree. They got a BIG one, this was also tradition. There is another legend in the McGlone Christmas history that says once he got a tree so tall it wouldn’t fit in the house. Rather than admit it was too big and allow Rose to be right, he cut the top off and attached it to the roof. He decorated the top as well and acted like that was pretty much the norm in every house hold. This story you can believe or not I’m just repeating what was told to me. Ok, I’m doing that McGlone thing where I divert down a whole different path and don’t (as my kids say) get to the damn point anytime soon. So, Bob brought the BIG tree home with the parcel of rascals in tow all happy happy joy joy and singing and met Rose. She was not amused. A deal had been made as far as she was concerned. She had a sweet small neat no fuss no muss no clean up tree on a table in the teeny tiny living room. It was pretty, it was small, it was the one she wanted and the one she would keep. There would be room to move around the living room, room for presents, no needles on the floor and sap all over the house and NO you are not bringing that tree in this house. Bob protested, talked about the Christmas spirit, the smell of pine, the joy of the experience and the happy faces on the parcel of rascals all around him. Rose said no. Bob said Yes. This went on for a very short time. Anyone who ever met Rose knows an argument with her was both pointless and short lived. Anyone who ever met Bob knows Rose always won, unless he could come to a compromise of sorts, he always gave in; he just made her wait to win. This time Bob actually came up with his own kind of compromise. If I can’t bring this tree in, I’ll just decorate the damn thing outside. He then went further, not only would he have god damned tree, he would decorate the damn thing AND have a god damned party doing it. He invited his Boy Scout troop and the neighbors and their families over for a tree decorating party. He made a huge fire in the outside fireplace, cooked big pots of cocoa and hot dogs and they decorated, sang carols and had a hell of a time. That was the very first McGlone Family Christmas party. Growing up I was the only kid in Bryantville Elementary that didn’t think it was weird to have a cook out the Saturday before Christmas. We didn’t care about the cold or the snow, we just decorated the tree and sang and drank cocoa and thought it was the way it was supposed to be. As the next generation began we realized tiny babies don’t like the cold and snow as much and we moved the party in doors, but we kept a fire going outside and always bought two trees one for inside and one for outside. Mrs. Marshall was our baby sitter; she was there every day when I got home from school. She was the most “Mrs. Claus” woman I’ve ever known. She loved that outside tree. She died when I was 15. Bob was crushed. In her honor he bought a live tree from the Canadian town she grew up in. He made sure it was exactly the same height as Brian because he was the baby and so Mrs. Marshall would always be with us every Christmas when we decorated her tree. So when Jens friends bought Nana and Papas House and looked out the window by the sink, they were standing where Greta Marshall stood every day doing dishes and watching squirrels. The tree is still there even though the McGlones have all gone. That was the reason for the tree. That was the reason for the Christmas party. When Bob and Rose have gone, when there are no McGlones in the little house on Toole Trail there are legendary memories of fight over a Christmas tree that became a family tradition and like the love we grew up with, like the spirit of Christmas, it goes on and on. Generation to generation, family to family…all because… Once upon a time on a long dirt road in a very small house in a world far far away lived a man named Bob and a woman named Rose. Happy Christmas and See Ya Round The Campfire………………
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 17:03:00 +0000
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