We don't have our tree up yet, so I can't post a picture. We are usually very last-minute with our tree (a huge artificial tree we bought over 20 years ago) but then leave it up into March. My husband loads up the tree with I-don't-know-how-many-strings-of-lights and it cheers us up through the long dark winter nights in Wisconsin. Most people think we are nuts to do this, but it's ***our*** family tradition.........
I remember the first time my husband and I put up a tree. It was a natural one and, with our usual procrastination, we waited until Christmas Eve to actually put it up. Then discovered we had no stand for it! So dh rigged up thin ropes to the wall to keep it upright and we decorated as usual. What we didn't count on was the cat. He ran up the tree and brought it down on our heads! We just propped it up against the wall after that.
And for years I had at least two or three tree stands on hand in the garage!