As I go in search of an editorial topic, I have a confession to make -- and I do so knowing that Junior might be checking this blog (and having a fit when he reads this). When I got married, I insisted that there were two things that'd never set down in my house: a dog and an artifical Christmas tree. My wife, son and daughter respected my wishes until a Valentine's Day about 9 years ago when I arrived home to find a puppy in a box in my kitchen. My howls were ignored. Now, my second demand has been ignored. My wife was given an artificial tree, which is now featured in our front bay window, decorated and all. And I don't seem to mind that either. I never thought I'd allow such a thing in my house. But ... it doesn't lose its needles, you don't have to water it, you don't have to go hunting for it, and you don't have to worry about it drying out from the heat of the wood stove nearby and starting a fire. I can't believe I'm writing this. You can take up this thread -- Christmas tree: real or artificial -- or start your own thread with this Wild Card ...

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