Just adding some photos here for another purpose as I don't have a better place. 
April 2010 Please see updated information in the comments, and I've copied some of it under the Isaacks family halfway down this post. These are all linked from Ancient Faces. To see the original entry go to ancientfaces.com and search the names. Cox family, 1927. Left to right: Marion Absolom Cox, aged 36, b Feb 26, 1899; John Larkin Cox, b Aug 15, 1895; Alva Louis Cox, b Mar 20, 1901; Gilbert Raymond Cox, b Jan 2, 1904; Mary Cox, b Oct 13, 1886; Robert Dale Cox, b Nov 2, 1909; Mary Melvina {McReynolds} Cox, b Oct 10, 1871; John 'Turkey' Cox, b Aug 24, 1859. Henry (b Feb 13, 1820) Hershey and Caroline Good Hershey (b Feb 5, 1824) family. Children are: Alvin E Hershey, b Feb 28, 1842; Mary A Hershey, b Jul 10, 1843; Malinda G Hershey, b May 10, 1845; Nancy A Hershey, b Jan 18, 1848; Benjamin Hershey, b Feb 8, 1850. UPDATE: July 2009: "Keith" writes (slightly adjusted): Just a quick note to say I love your blog and it came to a surprise while s
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I am also impressed that you kept your tree alive so long! Although, I finally figured out that rust in my tree stand may be part of the problem.
Thanks for the pics!!!
As far as the tree surviving, we get it cut at a tree farm as we watch and take it straight home and into water. If you can do this within the first hour or two so a "scab" doesn't form on the cut surface they will live a long time. Of course you also have to not forget to keep the water up or a scab can still form. The scab prevents any further water from being absorbed. Maybe some varieties last longer too. I hadn't heard about rust being an issue but it makes sense. This year I put plant food in the water too, though I can't really measure whether it helped much, but it sure couldn't hurt. 6 1/2 weeks after cutting it is still flexible and only dropping a few leaves.