Peace, health, and happiness.........thank you! And the same to you, Lois. Safe travels as you wend your way to a warmer climate tomorrow.

Warmest holiday wishes from PRM to the Houzz community!

RE artificial Christmas trees - I see many of those on the curb every year, because they start to shed their "needles" after a few years, long before they look shabby, or because the owners wanted to "upgrade". They can't be recycled - the scrappers won't take the ones with metal parts even. So they go to the landfill, to continue the march toward more farmland being converted to trash disposal. Whereas a live tree has come from a farm, (not overseas), will be replaced with another tree, and while growing is providing all of the benefits of trees in the landscape. In fact a tree farm is creating a "woods" where otherwise would be crops like corn or soybeans. Then the tree can be turned into mulch, composted, or simply broken up with loppers and piled in a corner of the yard to provide shelter for various wildlife. (I realize that many towns/cities still don't yet offer pickup and processing of Christmas trees, or other yard waste, but if citizens keep asking for that, it will come). On my walks around the neighborhood on trash day I often see things like sets of dishes, intact glassware, and other usable good condition household items of all sorts, including bedframes, outgrown clothes & toys, linens - from decluttering and downsizing I assume for the most part - set out for the trash pickup. We have 3 or 4 thrift stores within 2-3 miles, and a store (furniture bank) that takes furniture donations another 2 or so miles further. So the mindset is there, if not to the extreme of trashing rather than dealingwith an entire special occasion kit.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!