The Hubnugget Team has fun at the tree farm!
Panic... Pull-hair-out... realization...i t's six and a half hours into December the 3rd... EEK... throw-up-hands-in-the-air... comprehension, only twenty days and seventeen and a half hours of shopping and prepping time left till the big day... 'Christmas'. Gotta get a tree, gotta get the gifts finished and wrapped, gotta get the... gotta... gotta... boy-oh-boy I'm tired just thinking of all the 'gotta's' that still need to be done.
Grabbing a cup of tea... settling down the panic.... I have no idea why I get myself in such a fizzle every year around this time... I have to keep telling myself "Time is not thy enemy" any more now than it is the rest of the year. There is no sense running around and showing everyone that I can't line up all the bats in the belfry... it all gets done one way or another every year. Maybe with a few sleepless nights but all the presents will be finished, will be beautifully boxed, wrapped and set under the tree with a few minutes to spare... TREE ! ! ! I NEED A TREE ! ! !
NO, it's not the smell of wood burning, it's just me thinking, thinking, thinking... I got-it. Where is that darned phone... at least when we were still using phones on a leash you didn't have to go hunting for them... ah, there it is... ring, ring, ring, 'Hubnugget pickers team conference call' ... You guys are all invited to my house for a Christmas party weekend... I got-it all planned out... lots of good food, hot Grog and best of all lots of fun... You're all coming, right? Great! Ripple-maker has offered to pick you all up in her hub-copter. See ya all soon.
The First Hubnugget Christmas Weekend Party Agenda!
The team members arrival at Zsuzsy Bee's funny farm!
~orientation, meet the zoo --- Lizards and gizzards, Chuckey the love bird, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks and the newest members Billy and Nanny the goats,
~trip to the Christmas tree farm, picking and choosing the perfect tree, rides in horse drawn wagons, sitting on Santa's knees, candle making the old fashioned way, gingerbread, cotton candy, beef-on-a-bun, slight snow flurries (on order, just to set the mood).....
~chit chats, snacks, hot grog and drinks by the fireplace, set up and decorating of the Christmas tree, Christmas caroling, dinner.... and much, much more fun
The team at the tree farm!
"Okay guys, you need to dress in layers. This is where your skiing suits come in handy. If you didn't come prepared there is some extra gear in the cup-boards in the laundry room... help yourself"
A loooong half hour later the team finally shows up all decked out in thermal long-johns, the essential hats, mittens and scarves, etc. like a bunch of birds of paradise in the brightest of reds, gem like blues and emeralds, the 'camouflage' of today's fashionable winter gear. The team members, after all are really tough, they are armed with sharpened saws or small hatchets. (I was a little mean with my derogatory remark about the city slickers who show up every year to the tree farm with their shiny never used before mini chainsaws, but then they can be a little funny looking)
I herded everyone on board of the 'funny-farm mobile' it would take us only twenty-five or so minutes to get to the biggest and best-est Santa approved 'perfect spot.' Sloan's Christmas Tree Farm. Acres and acres of Christmas trees of every type and size imaginable.
The team was in a perfect state of mind. Someone even started singing Christmas songs and something about 'a wall full of bottles...' The melodious baritones of Jason and De Greek were just slightly over-trumped by the two team cats meow-ing in perfect harmony, and the chicken squawking... "what, chickens squawking" "Oops, sorry about that guys, Evvy and Polly snuck on the bus again... those two just love going for rides whenever they can sneak onto the 'funny-farm-mobile' don't sit on any eggs just in case. "
Twenty-two minutes later we arrived at our destination. To the left of the
parking 'field' are the already cut trees for the 'in the hurry
customers'. (We won't bother with those, as we're here to have fun) To the right, is the entrance to the winter wonderland (my on-order snow is just starting... 50 flakes-per-hour-per-acre). If you follow the trail signs, they will take the visitors to Santa's workshop, the old fashioned
Candy-land, make your own dipped Candle-station and the Craft-village.
To prevent starvation... it is only a short hike to the hand-cut fries,
chili-dogs, beef-on-a-bun and for the sweet tooth candy-apples,
cotton-candy, home made fudge (the maple-walnut fudge is to die for) and the decorate your own gingerbread person Pavilion.You can also visit some of the junior members of Santa's reindeer, you know the ones that are not yet ready to fly with him, and also the retire-ees of Santa's team too. And the best part... across
the walk-way are the horse-drawn wagons which will convey every hopeful 'tree-hunter' and
their families to the oh so perfect tree line.
The Safari is on, beware you perfect tree you will not escape...
"this is the one, no...no this one here, no the needles are too long, this is the...no this one is better, no this side is flat...too short...too skinny...too perfect..."
blessed are you, lucky fellow hunters, who has the whole family agreeing on THE perfect Christmas tree
It looked as if everyone had had a great time... picking and choosing. We strapped the perfect one to the top of the bus and hurried home so we could have dinner and then decorate this fabulous, definitely the nicest tree 'ever.
Pulling into the driveway SciPi, always the alert one, noticed that the front door stood wide open. Oh no! burglars???? "Everyone calm down, stay in the bus let me go investigate" I called. "Just in case, someone, please have your cell phone out and ready to call our finest in blue. Oh shoot, I do not have a phone book here in the bus... Oh well just dial '0' for operator and ask them what the number for 9-1-1 is (just kidding)"
Jason and De Greek, the gentlemen that they are, insisted on going into the house with me... I had grabbed the hammer that lived on the bus, (I needed it occasionally whenever the bus's alternator needed a friendly little wake-up tap) Jason had found the tire iron, De Greek was armed with the hatchet we used at the Christmas tree farm. Koffee Klatsch Gal found her two foot long flashlight in her Mary Poppins carpet bag. Then followed SciPi Patty, the karate champion, whose hands are registered weapons. Maddie and Simone followed, each with their cell phones open and ready in one hand, a can of pepper spray in the other. Ripplemaker in her ever calm way pulled out the nine iron from my golf bag (which I had forgotten to take in last week after our final game of the year). Not to be out done, their claws unsheathed and sharp, RedElf and Enelle tip-toed with their cat stealth, so quietly that no-one even knew they were there.
Sneaking up the drive, trying not to let the gravel crunch under our feet, we crept up to the deck stairs... the whole lot of us inched ahead slow by slow... when all of a sudden a little rustle interrupted our covert operation... I was able to grab Gaby, my anti-social Rouen duck just in time before she let out even the smallest of quacks (she makes her home under the lavender bush in the flower bed rather than in the chicken coop). Noticing every-body's startled look I realized I had forgotten to warn them about sweet little Gabby. I mouthed a quiet "Sorry" as I shrugged my shoulders... taking a big breath, carrying the duck under my left arm, the hammer in the right I entered the kitchen through the open door first... -nothing- ... -nobody-... we continued on through the hall into the living room... -empty- ... we all let out a half of a sigh of relief... stood still for a moment and then we could hear the sound of rustling papers coming from the den/office... we inched slowly to the pocket doors that were only open about a foot. The guys pulled the doors open in unison on the one-two-three count (a la Delta force) Koffee Klatsch Gal shone in her bright light and we carefully peeked in... -there stood Billy and Nanny calmly chewing their way through the papers on my desk- It took a moment for the strain of the last two and a half minutes to leave our faces... it seemed that it had taken a lifetime. We all started to laugh at the same time because we had just noticed the ridiculous... we were all still wearing our puffy coats a la Michelin-tire-man-style, I was carrying a happy little duck, the rest of the team had all followed single file ending with the two kitties and peaking over their shoulders were Evvy and Polly the chickens, wondering if there was going to be any specialty snacks handed out soon.
You might think that this is the end of the tale of the Pied Piper of Hubpages... well you guessed wrong. Luckily we were just in time to rescue the hubnugget hubs from being eaten by the goats... the pages looked a little ragged around the edges, a little slimy... -but still usable- ... a second more and they would all have been history. I bet you wouldn't have believed me if I would have come on-line and told you that there was not going to be a hubnugget hub this week because my goats ate the hubs--- would you have?
Now are you also wondering where the dogs were though out all of this... I was... well my brave sentries were upstairs guarding my bed from being stolen... while Chuckey the love bird softly chirped sweet nothings into their ears.
Which one of this week's Technology nominees is your favorite?
- 14% Loser Guides:How To Buy Stuff Online
- 16% Little Trick To Drying a Wet Electronic Device
- 18% 3D TV, and no glasses required!
- 30% The Circle Of Reciprocity
- 9% Modern technology an old farts point of view.
- 14% How to Wipe a Hard Drive (Step-by-Step Guide)
This poll is now closed to voting.
The Technology Nominees
- Little Trick To Drying a Wet Electronic Device
No matter how hard we try to protect our beloved, and expensive, electronic devices from water, it does happen to all of us at some point in time. A cell phone can fall out of your pocket into the toilet. A... - Modern technology an old farts point of view.
Advances in technology an old farts point of view The advances in technology in the last 50 years have been awesome. I remember been invited to the neighbour to watch this magical black and white box...
Which one of this week's Education and Science nominees is your favorite?
- 7% The Glass Flask of the Byzantine Shipwreck at Bozburun, Turkey
- 3% The Top Twelve Best Inventions we use in our every day lives.
- 4% NASA STS-133 Space Shuttle Mission Prepares for Liftoff
- 1% Coping with Reality
- 0% Insane thoughts-what is; is not what it isn't, but it is what never was!
- 85% Does the American Dream Have to Die With Michael Jackson?
This poll is now closed to voting.
The Education and Science Nominees
- The Glass Flask of the Byzantine Shipwreck at Bozburun, Turkey
The 9th century Byzantine wreck in Bozburun, Turkey, contained a fragile glass flask and goblets. These artifacts reveal a social context to the no-nonsense view of medieval trade. - The Top Twelve Best Inventions we use in our every day lives.
This hub is about the every day items and appliances that we have come to take for granted. So here are the top 12. I was going to pick 10 but just couldn't leave certain ones out. 12) Makeup. Women use... - NASA STS-133 Space Shuttle Mission Prepares for Liftoff
NASA's shuttle Discovery is almost fully prepared to launch into space to meet up with the International Space Station as part of a mission to bring supplies and spare parts to the outpost and install the... - Coping with Reality
Is it not a fact, the more education one had in ones life, especially in natural science, the less likely one is to hold irrational ideas, especially religious ones? I am quite new to this amazing... - Does the American Dream Have to Die With Michael Jackson?
Have you ever thought that it might not about Michael Jackson but about our children's future? What does our attitude to irresponsible journalism mean? Are we not forfeiting our childrens future into the hands of bullies?
Which one of this week's Food and Cooking nominees is your favorite?
- 37% Shortbread My Favorite Three Recipes
- 17% 3 Great Recipes for Thanksgiving or Christmas: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Loaf, Cranberry Whip, and Cranberry Granola Bars
- 10% Clay Pot Cooking
- 11% How to Spice up Your Pancake Recipe
- 14% MY EXOTIC SOUP RECIPIES
- 11% HOW TO BRING TO THE TABLE TO REAL SPAGHETTI 'ITALIAN
This poll is now closed to voting.
The Food and Cooking Nominees
- Shortbread My Favorite Three Recipes
Shortbread Recipe’s To me it is just not Christmas until I have made Shortbread. My Grandmother made shortbread every Christmas and my first recipe is from her. I should add that she was from Paisley... - 3 Great Recipes for Thanksgiving or Christmas: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Loaf, Cranberry Whip, and Cr
One of the strict rules of frugal living and frugal cooking is to use up your leftovers, and I am always looking for creative ways to do so with my Thanksgiving meal or Christmas meal. In our home, we rarely...
This weeks winners and runners up!
Congratulations to all of you Hubnuggeteers, nominees and winners alike. All the hubs were super. So keep up the great writing.
This week's Technology favorites and nominees
- 30% The Circle Of Reciprocity
- 18% 3D TV, and no glasses required!
- 16% Little Trick To Drying a Wet Electronic Device
- 14% How to Wipe a Hard Drive (Step-by-Step Guide)
- 14% Loser Guides:How To Buy Stuff Online
- 9% Modern technology an old farts point of view.
57 people have voted in this poll.
This week's Education and Science favorites and nominees
- 85% Does the American Dream Have to Die With Michael Jackson?
- 7% The Glass Flask of the Byzantine Shipwreck at Bozburun, Turkey
- 4% NASA STS-133 Space Shuttle Mission Prepares for Liftoff
- 3% The Top Twelve Best Inventions we use in our every day lives.
- 1% Coping with Reality
- 0% Insane thoughts-what is; is not what it isn't, but it is what never was!
362 people have voted in this poll.
This week's Food and Cooking favorites and nominees
- 37% Shortbread My Favorite Three Recipes
- 17% 3 Great Recipes for Thanksgiving or Christmas: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Loaf, Cranberry Whip, and Cranberry Granola Bars
- 14% MY EXOTIC SOUP RECIPIES
- 11% How to Spice up Your Pancake Recipe
- 11% HOW TO BRING TO THE TABLE TO REAL SPAGHETTI 'ITALIAN
- 10% Clay Pot Cooking
63 people have voted in this poll.
The how's, the who's , the why's, the what's to be eligible.
To be eligible for HubNugget consideration, you must have joined hubpages within the last 60 days, and have an author score of 75 or above. Your hub must have been published within the last 7 days, and have a hub score of 55 or above. That's it!
Now you may be asking how you can achieve all of that when you're still just a Hub-nuggeteer learning your way around here.
This is how:
- Build a hub with well written, original content.
- Next, add a few relevant photos videos.
- Add a news feed if you like.
- Move your capsules around to create an attractive layout, and preview your handy work.
- Check for spelling and grammar booboos.
- Now all that's left to do is hit that "publish" button, and watch your score rise.
- Your friends at Hub-Central will do the rest!
If you want more detailed information, Shirley Anderson has written a hub on the whole process. You can find it here. or here HubPages Learning Center http://hubpages.com/hub/HubNuggets-How-ToÂ
The Douglas Fir, the Scots pine, silver pine, blue spruce etc. they each have their own charm. Naturally there is nothing wrong with an artificial tree, if that is what you prefer. I'm all gung-ho about living green all year long, and am a little ashamed to admit that the 'real' Christmas tree is one tradition I'm not willing to give up on yet. It has been all part of my families Christmas to go and choose the right specimen.
I would be very saddened if we, the whole gang,
were not able to gather at the tree farm, were not having that total 'just
family day'. I would miss seeing my granddaughters laughing eyes,
sprinting from one area to the next, from one tree to the other, with cold
red checks... all with the anticipation for that special holiday... and I would miss seeing my now adult children act like they used to with their laughing eyes,
sprinting from one area to the next, from one tree to the other, with cold
red checks... all with anticipation... most of all I would miss the memories that this 'family outing' brings back year after year....
I love this hunt, this tradition, so much that this year I actually have two trips to the tree-farm. A fun virtual one here with you all, the Hub team and Hub-ber-family, and one with my gang tomorrow...
Guess what folks
... its December the third, yup the count-down has started... hope you have a merry hunt for that 'Oh-so-perfect Christmas tree'
but most of all
May you all, (no matter what the name is of your special Holiday)Â
have a chance to spend that perfect day with your loved ones... in health, in good cheer and in Peace...
MERRY CHRISTMAS
This weeks winners and runners up!
Congratulations to all of you Hubnuggeteers, nominees and winners alike. All the hubs were super. So keep up the great writing.
This week's Technology favorites and nominees
- 30% The Circle Of Reciprocity
- 18% 3D TV, and no glasses required!
- 16% Little Trick To Drying a Wet Electronic Device
- 14% How to Wipe a Hard Drive (Step-by-Step Guide)
- 14%
- 9% Modern technology an old farts point of view.
57 people have voted in this poll.
This week's Education and Science favorites and nominees
- 85% Does the American Dream Have to Die With Michael Jackson?
- 7% The Glass Flask of the Byzantine Shipwreck at Bozburun, Turkey
- 4% NASA STS-133 Space Shuttle Mission Prepares for Liftoff
- 3% The Top Twelve Best Inventions we use in our every day lives.
- 1% Coping with Reality
- 0% Insane thoughts-what is; is not what it isn't, but it is what never was!
362 people have voted in this poll.
This week's Food and Cooking favorites and nominees
- 37% Shortbread My Favorite Three Recipes
- 17% 3 Great Recipes for Thanksgiving or Christmas: Leftover Cranberry Sauce Loaf, Cranberry Whip, and Cranberry Granola Bars
- 14% MY EXOTIC SOUP RECIPIES
- 11% How to Spice up Your Pancake Recipe
- 11% HOW TO BRING TO THE TABLE TO REAL SPAGHETTI 'ITALIAN
- 10% Clay Pot Cooking
63 people have voted in this poll.
