Besides politics and religion the other two topics you should never ask about at a Christmas party are "what kind of tree, real or artificial and what goes on top, an angel or a star".  People are very passionate about their choices when it comes to how those questions are answered.

At our home, we are real tree people. It's what has worked best for us through the years so that's why we go for the scent, the dust, the dander, and the occasional wild animal in our home to celebrate the season.

That takes care of the tree argument. Now about what goes on top.

Recently we were faced with the unenviable task of finding a new topper for our tree. It appears that some butterfingered tree decorator dropped the star that's been on top of our tree for the past 32 years. That's when Jill, my wife, and I entered into discussions with our children about what should be the pinnacle of our great ceremonial bush.

I like stars. However, I like a very simple star. No flashing lights, no glitter, just polished plastic, and no mistaking it's a star. My wife likes stars too. However, she likes things a little more fancy than I do. She would prefer a little sizzle or light to help her star become the holiday beacon for our living room.

My daughter Anna always has an opinion about how our house is decorated and she appears to be leaning in the general direction of an angel. My son Jack, an aerospace engineer is not yet aware that it is even Christmas. You know how those engineers can shut out the real world with their deep thoughts and mathematical equations.

So we have a bit of a  conundrum. We need a topper for the tree. We all have an idea of what that should be. So, as I've done throughout my time here on the radio with you I will yield to your advice, stories, and anecdotes to help us come to an amicable conclusion.

Otherwise, we could have an angel riding a star on top of our tree and even I know that won't work.

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