PINE TIME
It’s not Christmas until pine needles jut wildly from my hair because I’ve crawled beneath the tree to wrestle it into place. It may clog the vacuum with needles, but I must have a live tree. I love the fragrance, the decorating, the nostalgia. Plus, I’m partial to fresh pines because I trimmed and primped more than 50 acres of them every summer during high school in Michigan. To find out which pines are the most aromatic, or pet-friendly, or longlasting, check out reader Amanda Werner’s insider tips and a sweet story from her family’s Vermont tree farm on page 24. Amanda’s family makes a lot of wreaths this time of year, some like the ones used to make the cover model and her little “reindeer” dog. We show you how to…