Christmas Tree

In 1991, Dorothy Winburn planted a tree in her yard on Locust Grove Road in honor of her husband, James O. Winburn, shortly after his death. Now, more than 20 years later, that same tree has gone on to an even bigger job - serving as the 2012 Clark County Christmas tree. “I wanted the tree dedicated to my husband, so I donated it to the courthouse,” Winburn said. Although she is now a resident of the Windsor Care nursing center in Mount Sterling, the Winburns made Winchester their home for more than 40 years.

Thanksgiving morning, while my glorious 30-pound turkey was roasting (to perfection, I¿might add) in the oven, I¿decided to go ahead and put up a real Christmas tree. I have never had a tree up on Thanksgiving because when I was living with my parents, we always had a real tree. It was nothing super special - I'm talking Kroger parking lot kind of real tree - but we did always enjoy the smell, and both my parents grew up in go-to-the-woods-in-a-winter-wonderland-and-cut-down-our-tree kind of families.

In order to have a living memory of a particular Christmas, displaying a live Christmas tree not only perks up the season but provides a tree for your landscape. There are many people who hate to buy a cut tree then turn around and throw it out, and many more who do not want an artificial tree. Select a tree that is right for your climate, soil and light conditions. Be sure to select a tree variety that is hardy to two zones colder than your climate. Most nurseries will tag and hold trees until you're ready to bring them home.

Back in December, when I was putting up the 30-year-old artificial Christmas tree that Mawmaw, a friend's grandmother, generously gave me, I did not envision it still standing proudly in my living room in April. Turns out, I should have, because that's exactly what happened. Here we are, almost four months past Christmas, or eight months away from next Christmas, if you'd rather look at it that way, and yours truly definitely has a tinsel-covered Christmas tree just hanging out, as if it's completely natural for a Christmas tree to be up year-round.

I made a huge decision the other day, spurred by something I can’t quite pinpoint. Maybe it’s a sign that I’m finally living that “better life” my aunt is always admonishing me about, or maybe it was just plain boredom. Whatever the reason, the outcome is the same — last Sunday afternoon, I took down my Christmas tree. Yes, for those of you wondering, that is, in fact, the same Christmas tree that has been hanging out in my living room since December 2009.

For many Kentucky families, nothing sets the mood for a joyous holiday season more than a Christmas tree. Taking basic precautions in decorating will ensure that tree doesn't pose a fire hazard. "Christmas trees cause about 200 house fires a year around the United States," said State Fire Marshal Rodney Raby. "Fires occur with both natural and artificial trees. But taking a few basic steps can ensure that your Christmas tree provides a safe and cheery atmosphere for this special occasion.

Danville will hold its annual Christmas tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. today in Weisiger Park at the Boyle County Courthouse with a reception following at the Community Arts Center, the old Federal Building. The Heart of Danville Christmas parade is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday with a theme of "Angels Among Us. " Due to activities at Centre College, the lineup area has been changed to Second Street. Entries will line up between 6-7 p.m. on Second Street, Walnut Street and in the parking lots behind the old Hub building.

Customers who enter the lobby of Farmers Bank in Nicholasville will think that the bank has put their Christmas tree up a bit early. Until they take a second look at the tree, that is. Instead of Christmas ornaments, the tree is adorned with framed photographs of veterans. There are actually two trees in the lobby bearing veterans' photos. The Veterans Christmas Tree is the brainchild of Sharon Bolin, senior vice president of operations for the bank, who previously worked for a bank in Powell County, at which a similar tree had been erected.

My family always had a live Christmas tree. Picking out a Fraser Fir from a store in Lexington was a declaration that the season of good cheer and present-shaking had arrived. My happiest, most visceral memories of home have a Christmas tree at the center. As special as those memories are, though, I have always longed to pluck a tree straight from the source. The impulse to find the biggest, most verdant tree in the wilderness, hack it down and cram it into a room, regardless of ceiling height, is an impulse that is strong in me. For my first Christmas in a new apartment I decided that it was time to scratch that itch.

— On Tuesday, emergency personnel conducted one local transfer and three out-of-town transfers. They also responded to two general medical calls, two falls, one seizure, one motor vehicle accident and one engine assist. — Firefighters also responded to a fire call at 12:48 a.m. today at 358 Camden Drive. An electric spinning base on a Christmas tree in the back room of the residence caught fire. Damage was confined to the Christmas tree.

Christmas tree collection dates set Christmas tree collection will run from Jan. 7 to Jan. 10 and will be on the regularly scheduled yard waste collection days. All trees must be placed to the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day and must not be bagged and free of any ornaments, lights and tree stands. Customers may also bring their Christmas trees to the Transfer Station for disposal. S&G¿Sanitation closed Tuesday S&G Sanitation will be closed Tuesday for New Year's Day. Those with Tuesday and Friday service will have Friday service only.

Local people in and around Boyle County are helping a Livingston family after its home caught fire Christmas Eve.  About 9 a.m. Tuesday, Neal James of Stanford, Turtleman's sidekick on the “Call of the Wildman” show on the Animal Planet channel, sent out a request on Twitter and Facebook for ideas on where to get toys on Christmas day.  Amy Cromer and her three children lost everything in the fire at their house, including their Christmas...

In order to have a living memory of a particular Christmas, displaying a live Christmas tree not only perks up the season but provides a tree for your landscape. There are many people who hate to buy a cut tree then turn around and throw it out, and many more who do not want an artificial tree. Select a tree that is right for your climate, soil and light conditions. Be sure to select a tree variety that is hardy to two zones colder than your climate. Most nurseries will tag and hold trees until you're ready to bring them home.

When I asked two of my elderly friends what their first Christmas memory was, I could tell it was a question they had never thought about before. I posed this question to Verne Orndorff, who is closer to 100 years of age than 90. He told me that every year his father would go out on Christmas Eve and cut down a Christmas tree. He said he usually went alone to get the tree. It had to be a fir tree. He would climb to the top of a very tall fir tree, cut down the tree, then bring it back to the house.

In 1991, Dorothy Winburn planted a tree in her yard on Locust Grove Road in honor of her husband, James O. Winburn, shortly after his death. Now, more than 20 years later, that same tree has gone on to an even bigger job - serving as the 2012 Clark County Christmas tree. “I wanted the tree dedicated to my husband, so I donated it to the courthouse,” Winburn said. Although she is now a resident of the Windsor Care nursing center in Mount Sterling, the Winburns made Winchester their home for more than 40 years.

Thanksgiving morning, while my glorious 30-pound turkey was roasting (to perfection, I¿might add) in the oven, I¿decided to go ahead and put up a real Christmas tree. I have never had a tree up on Thanksgiving because when I was living with my parents, we always had a real tree. It was nothing super special - I'm talking Kroger parking lot kind of real tree - but we did always enjoy the smell, and both my parents grew up in go-to-the-woods-in-a-winter-wonderland-and-cut-down-our-tree kind of families.

PLEASANT HILL -  A month's worth of events are on tap this year at Shaker Village. The Danville Garden Club has decorated the site this year with more than 150 holiday swags, wreaths and garlands of fresh greenery and red ribbon. A 31-foot Norway Spruce will light up at dusk, with the numerous luminaries that glow along the village paths. Special “Illuminated Evenings” are scheduled every Saturday. Holiday teas are planned every Friday and Saturday throughout December. The Jingle Bell Shuttle will run daily.

I've had my fair share of holiday memories, whether it be Thanksgiving or Christmas. Growing up, Thanksgiving was a special time, one where my dad spent much of the day getting the turkey and other goodies ready. It was also a day that we watched the NFL Thanksgiving Day offerings - much to the chagrin of my mother. But with four boys, what could a mother do? While the football games were fun, the best memories were simply sitting around the table sharing with one another. And the next day, we pulled out the Christmas tree - there were years it was a real tree, and there were years that it was fake, and there was this one year that it was white, and I still haven't figured that one out - and decorated it. I still remember one year my mom fell in love with the “bubble lights,” so my dad got her a set to put on the tree.

Once again the year has just about come full circle, and certain things tend to take place at my house about this time of year. It happens each year around Thanksgiving. My thoughts turn toward Christmas time and putting up Christmas decorations.  My fall decorations - pumpkins, etc. - are taken down throughout the house, along with the scarecrows and anything that looks like fall outside the house, to be transformed with lights of Christmas, wreaths, poinsettias, the nativity scene, snowmen, Santa Claus and big red bows on light posts.

In recent years, The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky has offered the public the opportunity to obtain free Christmas trees from its Jim Beam Nature Preserve in Jessamine County. The popular event has been so successful in clearing unwanted cedar trees from a meadow where the conservancy has planted hardwood seedlings that there are not enough trees left to hold the event this year.  The conservancy will consider other locations in the Palisades region where there are easily accessible cedar trees so that the event could be resumed in the future.