Page 47 of If You Give a Grump a Christmas Tree Farm
“Don’t get frustrated. Just slow down and take a breath. It’s not a race. Relax and concentrate.”
I breathe in and try to do what she says, wrapping each branch with slow patience. It seems to pay off, and I stop fumbling so much.
By now she’s already done with hers. She looks at mine. I’ve only got about a quarter of the frame covered.
“It’s not fair. Your hands are smaller than mine,” I grumble.
“It’s not a race. You’re doing great.”
Am I, though? I study the branches. I suppose they’re not that bad, though not nearly as good as hers. “Maybe from a distance they’ll look okay.”
“Keep going. Practice makes perfect.”
I grunt; not sure any amount of practice will improve my skill.
“You know what we need? Christmas music.” She pulls her phone out and pulls up a playlist.
I have to admit, it makes the time go by faster, and any time I get to spend with Rebecca is enjoyable, even if it involves crafting.
I make a face at her. “I can’t believe you’ve got me doing this.”
She giggles. “Making things with your hands can be quite relaxing, don’t you think?”
“Working with my hands on a motorcycle engine, maybe. Not sure about this.”
“Look at how good yours is coming along, though. You’re doing great.”
It’s silly, but her compliments and words of encouragement are like tonic to me. I never received many of them growing up. I wonder if things had been different at home, and I’d gotten more of them as a kid, just how different my life would have been.
We work for an hour, but it's getting late, so we call it a night.
I finished a total of two, but Rebecca finished six.
Hitting the light, I close the shed door, and we walk toward the cabin in the chilly fall air.
“Well, that only leaves twenty-two,” I say, thinking I’ll be doing it all day tomorrow.
Rebecca grins and bumps my shoulder with hers. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you off the hook. Maybe Amanda can help. I know it’s the last way you want to spend your Saturday.”
“It’s not that, but there’s still a lot to do. I’ve got to get all the trees cut and set up in the ‘cash and carry’ lot, plus string the lights around it. Plus, I want to get some new saws for customers who want to cut their own. I took a look at the ones in storage, and they’re all pretty rusty. So, I’ll need to run to Wilson’s Hardware for that.”
“Maybe we should go over the list of everything and make sure we’ve got it all covered,” she suggests.
“Good idea.”
We pause on the porch, and she pulls her phone out. “I’m going to call Amanda right now.”
Buddy gets up from the bed I made him on the porch, yawns and stretches. I squat and scratch his ears.
Rebecca puts her phone on speaker, and her sister answers on the second ring. “Hello.”
“Hi, Amanda.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“How would you like to come tomorrow for a free private wreath-making class?” Rebecca grins.
“What’s the catch?”
