IMEN McDONNELL

Hoping for the perfect Christmas

A journey to the woods in search of holly brought Imen McDonnell and her family to the foot of what has become their perfect Christmas tree.

Privilege 10,110,500 that comes with marrying an Irish farmer: you may just be able to cut down your very own tree from your very own wood when Christmas comes around.

I am still pinching myself as I look at our special tree, decorated all pretty and crafty, standing gallantly in the sitting room window. It is far from perfect, which makes it even more perfect to me, with a few straggly branches hanging on the bottom and a hole on one side. Holes or no holes, it is a fine, noble tree that we got on our own and that is something I never imagined doing in my life.

We hadn't planned on getting a tree on the day we brought it home. We were just going down to the wood to cut down some festive holly for the house, a tradition that Geoffrey and I have been doing with Granddad for the last few years. This time, Richard came along with a saw, ''just in case there was a nice tree'' as well.

I wanted this Christmas to be the absolute best. After losing my father three years ago, the last two holiday seasons had been not so ''festive'' for me. For 2011, I was really looking forward to filling our home with Christmas spirit with a perfect tree to be the centrepiece.

I had my heart set on going to a nearby forest park which sells trees for the holidays and choosing the biggest, tallest, most regal tree on the lot. In my mind at the time, I thought that would serve us best.

When we walked down into the wood, I saw the row of about 10 pretty spruce trees that my father-in-law had the foresight to plant several years ago. I had noticed them before, while either foraging for wild garlic or observing the bees, but they were just a bit too small to be cut down and I imagined it would be a millennium before we'd have one in our home at Christmas.

On Sunday, there were at least four stunners that were mature enough to bring home to be proper Christmas trees. Not 12-footers, but a modest eight or nine feet, I would calculate. Still, it wouldn't have mattered if the trees were only six or seven feet tall; we were actually in the wood cutting it down for ourselves. A dream come true and more than I could have asked for to make this special Christmas even more perfect.

Richard pulled out the saw and took the tree down. He and Granddad loaded it into the car and we brought it home. Later that night, I made mulled wine and we decorated. And decorated. Geoffrey placed the ornaments on the lower half and we adorned the top. Then, we sat back and just revelled in the quiet beauty of our special tree.

Yes, it sure is going to be a holly jolly Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all!