One California family has managed to keep its Christmas tree alive for the last 34 years.
When Gina and Joe Mistretta, of Irvine, stepped onto the lot in Christmas 1983, they didn't think anything of the two-foot tall potted Scotch pine they bought for less than $20.
It was so small it could only hold one string of lights but, when the holiday was over, the tree didn't look anywhere near dead.
'It was sad to throw it away,' Gina told The Mercury News.
So the family kept it and, 34 years later, it has become part of a family tradition - and an unintended conservation effort.
One California family has managed to keep its Christmas tree (pictured) alive for the last 34 years. When Gina and Joe Mistretta, of Irvine, stepped onto the lot in Christmas 1983, they didn't think anything of the two-foot tall potted Scotch pine they bought for less than $20
Gina and Joe (pictured) decided to not throw out the tree and instead have kept it every year. Thee tree has been kept trimmed and watered and is re-potted several times a year, although Joe will always saw the trunk so it's short enough to duck under the living room ceiling
But it's a family effort to keep it going and the couple is helped by their children, Michael (left) and Joe Jr (right). The men, 27 and 31, have never known any other tree
Throughout the years, the tree has been kept trimmed and watered and is re-potted several times a year, although Joe will always saw the trunk just a bit so it's short enough to duck under the living room ceiling.
But it's a family effort to keep it going and the couple is helped by their children, Michael and Joe Jr. The men, 27 and 31, have never known any other tree.
Joe Jr has re-potted the tree four times and it even survived a fire. The home's front door had to be doubled in size so the nearly 300-pound tree can be rolled in.
'I just hate coming down the street [after Christmas] and seeing people put out their tree,' Michael, referring to the annual post-holiday garbage dump, told Mercury News.
Keeping the tree year in and year out has also turned into a massive conservation measure.
According to Cal State Fullerton professor John Bock, the director of the school's Center for Sustainability, the tree has captured nearly 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide - the equivalent to not burning about 1,200 pounds of coal.
Joe Jr has also re-potted the tree four times and it even survived a fire. The home's front door had to be doubled in size so the nearly 300-pound tree can be rolled in (Pictured, ornaments on the Mistretta Christmas tree)
According to Cal State Fullerton professor John Bock, the director of the school's Center for Sustainability, the tree has captured nearly 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide - the equivalent to not burning about 1,200 pounds of coal (Pictured, Michael and Joe Jr decorate the tree)
Now retired, the Mistrettas have passed on their tradition to their son Joe Jr, who lives with his girlfriend in the Bay Area. They have their own two-foot tall potted tree, which they plan to re-use (Pictured, left to right: Michael, Joe Jr, Gina and Joe)
They've also not released many greenhouse gas emissions by not cutting down a tree each year.
In comparison, a real tree bought each year over 34 years would generate about 374 pounds of carbon dioxide. And a fake tree discarded every five years would use about 277 pounds of carbon dioxide over 34 years, Bock told The Mercury News.
Now retired, the Mistrettas have passed on their tradition to their son Joe Jr, who lives with his girlfriend in the Bay Area. They have their own two-foot tall potted tree, which they plan to re-use.
However, the original tree will likely be inherited by their youngest son, Michael. Scotch pines typically live 150 to 300 years, and the Mistrettas plan to keep their tree for as long as they can.
'You'll spread our ashes in it,' Joe joked to The Mercury News.
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Cats don’t give a crap what day it is.
It’s Christmas every day when you’ve got furniture to scratch, Dreamies to eat and humans to pet you.
And they definitely don’t care if you’ve spent hours carefully, tastefully decorating your Christmas tree.
For Christmas trees are basically glorified scratch posts with baubles hung for their entertainment.
Every part of a Christmas tree presents new and exciting toys:
Those strings of twinkly lights? Festive string
Supervisor Cat has supervised the Christmas Tree assembly and can confirm all shiny things are ready to be swatted and eaten. pic.twitter.com/edJBqJP8X0 — Raina Regan (@rainaregan) December 2, 2017
Pines? Fun things to rip off.
Christmas tree if you have a cat pic.twitter.com/QQy9EiDabx — kiki (@juliettebaba) December 8, 2017
Tinsel? Something to climb up
Fake trees? Perfect for hiding
‘Many cats are intrigued by new things in the house. Because we have control over their environments, they don’t generally get exposed to too many large new objects,’ Dr Elizabeth Stelow, chief of animal behaviour services at the University of California, Davis, tells The Dodo.
‘Second, many cats love to climb trees. If you’ve seen videos of cats really attacking their cat trees, it looks very much like a cat in a Christmas tree. They may play hide-and-seek with others, climb or scratch along the main trunk.’
But there are things you can do to cat-proof your hard work and to make sure your tree still has some pines left by New Year.
Baby pens
‘I know lots of people who put an exercise pen around the tree to keep the cats out,’ Dr Stelow says.
Use plastic ornaments
If your cat does insist on playing softball with your baubles, then having plastic decorations is a failsafe. They won’t break when they fall off or when your kitten has been batting it with their paws incessantly for three hours.
Cover the tree tray
Cats will drink anything and loads like to drink from the water reserve under the tree. But those trays are also a breeding ground ofr bacteria and some trees are sprayed with non-kitty friendly chemicals which can then seep into the water. Cover the tray with a blanket to stop your cat from supping.
Keep something they hate near the tree
Figured out how to keep the cat away from the Christmas tree. 😂 #SheHatesVacuums pic.twitter.com/n5yix5CuqY — Kristi Pietryka (@KristiPietryka) December 2, 2017
‘One colleague tried to use a static (Scat) mat around her tree,’ Dr Stelow adds.
‘It backfired because the cat was terrified of that room from then on — so punishment is a bad idea.’
Negative reinforcement never fails.
Or you could just resign yourself to the fact that you have cats and the tree eventually is going to get it.
#catlife.
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