While we tend to prefer much larger, ceiling-scraping trees, this one is just so perfect that its “miniature” stature doesn’t bother us. It arrived fresh via FedEx from Mountain Star Farms just before Thanksgiving.

On a recent trip to the garden center I was on the look out for colorful mums and varied and interesting pumpkins. After many weeks of dismal weather, the garden needed some sprucing up for fall. But it was not the mums or fanciful gourds that caught my eye. It was a gigantic pumpkin sitting inside the cold house at Dan Schantz!

The days have been damp and gloomy with never-ending rain. But suddenly there was a brightening. Investigating the bright glow in the sky, something eerie this way I surely did spy. What lied beyond the fence was a Halloween graveyard with a spirit glowing bright.

On Thanksgiving Day we decided to try an experiment with some different dishes and ended up with a seven course meal. We called it our informal formal seven course meal since we were all in jeans, sweats and t-shirts and we ended up using the green kitchen dishes because they were a better match for the centerpiece than the Royal Albert Old Country Roses.

It’s twilight and the brisk autumn air is filled with the fragrance of waning leaves and bonfires. Off in the distance, lantern-light is seen dancing in the darkness. People have gathered to celebrate the end of the harvest and to honor the dead.

Outside, the air is cold and crisp, and the trees rest silently in their slumber against snow-laden hills. The family busily gathers evergreens in the countryside and places them atop a giant log that’s tugged on a long journey home. Inside, the air is incensed with gingerbread and freshly cut evergreen. Father places the Yule log on the hearth and soon a roaring fire begins to crackle.

Byers’ Choice carolers are festive and addictive to collect. Ours find a home on the piano every year in several variations.

Christmas trees come in all shapes, sizes and methods. Here are some of ours that were artificial, bought at the local garden center, shipped to the door via FedEx and just plain old curly willow twigs decorated for the season.

There is nothing more magical on a snowy night than the glow of Christmas lights. Truly, the effect is magical as the snow covers the ground it transports you to another world filled with magic and beauty.

It is hard to imagine, but Christmas decorating can extend beyond Dept. 56. Who’d have thought! There are some interesting and lovely sights to behold around the house at the holidays.

Mr. McFeely would never believe it, nor did we, for surely a gorgeous live Christmas tree via mail order could only happen in the Land of Make-Believe. But it sure does as you can have a six, seven and even eight foot Christmas tree delivered right to your back door. Here we show you how our first mail ordered seven-foot Christmas tree was delivered and decorated.

Whether you’re having a buffet or a sit-down dinner, the table is the center of attention on this food-centric holiday. Here we present three different versions that have been popular here at The Old House Attic.