Jean was a master of Christmas decorations.
We turned friends. He taught me to decorate a Christmas tree.
An Impressive Tree to Decorate
He not only organized Himalayan butterfly exhibitions for business but also earned from his Christmas offerings.
He told me that the entire Christmas revolved around the tree and how to decorate it in the most creative way.
The first skill lied in selecting the right kind of tree for your purpose.
They came in two sizes - the full size and the tabletop.
A Tabletop Tree
You would choose out of Douglas Fir, Eastern White Pine, Noble Fir, Virginia Pine, Grand Fir, Scotch Pine, Fraser Fir or Eastern Red Cedar.
Jean himself preferred an Eastern White Pine the most, its needles being quite soft to touch. He would always take care to buy a fresh piece of it so that the needles wouldn't fall off and the tree would maintain its deep green color.
He would cut it off around half an inch from the bottom and put it in water so that it absorbed the water well. He always experimented with different sized trees for different locations depending on the space and the height of the place it was going to be put in. He also took care that the tree-stand always kept getting replenished with a continuous supply of fresh water before the previous one in it dried out.
This Beautiful Tree Will Turn More So on Decorating
He would place the tree at a cool place away from any source of intense heat so that it didn't go dry.
He sometimes experimented with some less common varieties like Arizona Cypress, Colorado Blue Spruce, Concolor Fir (White Fir), Leyland Cypress, Norway Spruce, Balsam Fir, Canaan Fir and White Spruce as well. It was his way to play the game of life in its fullness.
A Christmas tree was no less a piece of fine art as well as an event of culture for Jean of which he was as perfect a master as he was of the Christmas decorations!
US $150.00
