Hi Ellen,
I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. I know that your birthday is soon. I am also wishing you a great day. I did enter your VIP contest to see if I can come to your party. I would be honored if I was picked. You are a great person and I personally thank you for all that you do for the world. Happy Birthday Ellen!!!!!!

Hi Ellen, I am responding to the way people put up a tree. I'm 54 now. When we were raising our 3 kids and somewhat broke,[not poor]. One yr. we were given a tree from a relative with property and couldn't afford a tree stand. SO... I took a 5 gal. bucket from work and we put the tree in it, surrounded by old phone books [to level it] and filled it with water. It was SO cool! The phone books swelled up after obsorbing the water and straitend the tree perfectly. We draped a green bathtowel around the bucket. Looked great! We continued to water. After Christmas we pulled the tree out on the deck and it was doing so good we couldn't throw it away. In late march it started to get new buds on it?! Finally it dried out [Ithink late april] and we recycled it. It worked out so great, and kept the tree so moist and fresh, we still do it the same way. We are true Oregon tree huggers. Thanks Linda

I wanted to say merry christmas to everyone and we want to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I hope you get what you want...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU !HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ELLEN!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!! and many more on channel 4

love christina and willy

Hey Ellen! Happy 50th real soon!!! I remember turning 50 and I did a lot of things I had put off for many years. The 1st thing was a life long dream to meet Peter Noone. And he was so gorgeous! Next thing, I got a tatoo in a discreet spot (seen only when wearing a bathing suit). Next I flew for the day to Boston because I always wanted to go there. Trouble was I had to fly standby and was stranded there for almost three days. Had to buy a toothbrush and disposable cameras. Had a blast! By myself! All of this wasn't done in one day because when you turn 50 you get to celebrate all month. On my actual birthday weekend, my family and friends had a huge party for me and it was the best party you could ask for. Anyway go for your dreams on your big day, even if you think you already have your dream, isn't there something you have always wanted to do? Have fun and I will be watching you! Gail in S.C.

Quit rushing the holiday, Have thanksgiving and enjoy...No rule on when you put up your tree first or second week. When the wind gusts are under 40 and and the snow melts enough on the trail of uneven and long branch trees. This is when the time is right.

hey Ellen, me and my girl put ours up on the first of december,and we use a plastic tree, u try and keep a tree in 30-40 deg celcius. it's my first year with her so im trying to convince her its fun, i just had an operation so she had to do most of the work i supervised. and you know what while puting up the lights she said she was actualy having fun. but if i told anyone shed have to kill me whops. Kylie brisbane australia.

Oh, and did I mention that I have four seven Christmas trees up. I'm competing with Laura Bush... I understand they had something like 32 up and she's been planning since March. Guess I'll have to get an earlier start next year.. HAHAHAHA!!! Have a happy holiday season... you're AWESOME!!!

Hey Ellen:

This year my son and wife and 2 little boys came to decorate our home and put up our artificial tree. I am recuperating from colon surgery about 1 week before Thanksgiving. So it was a blessing to watch them put up our tree and I sat back and watched them do what I have done for many years. I like to decorate after Thanksgiving as soon as I can. My birthday is Jan. 29th, however, I am 65. So just enjoy being 50! Love ya! Sandy

I put my tree up instead of going Black Friday shopping. It's pre-lit and wonderful and my kids are there to help with the decorations.

Hi Ellen... I missed up on your poll... I said that our tree gets put up the second week in December... it usually gets put up at the last possible minute, many times on Christmas Eve. Usually I am waiting for a 'deal' that I can afford... last year, no luck... I ended up making a tree from a japanese maple branch that had broken off a tree in a windstorm. I painted it white and glued green feathers on it. My daughters were mortified and I felt quite eccentric. However, the laugh came when I found this(the converstion my daughter Felicia, and I had that she was sharing with her friends) on the internet: "felicia," she says, "i found a branch down the street that would be just perfect--"
"a branch, mom? we're having a christmas branch?"
"well, let me finish! i found this perfect little branch down the street blown off the neighbor's gorgeous little japanese maple after the windstorm--"
"...it's not even a conifer?"
"well let me tell you! all the leaves are gone--"
"it's LEAFLESS?"
"well let me finish, felicia! i was thinking i could put the branches in a bucket of sand with some water, they would sprout roots and grow! and in the meantime i'm going to go to michael's to buy some green feathers--"
"our christmas branch is going to be feathered??"
"well feather trees were very popular during the thirties and forties--"
"yeah, during the depression."

"so this christmas will be the christmas of the christmas leafless green-feathered japanese maple branch."

One never knows where their Christmas joy will come from!