Thursday 24 December 2015

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas morning here in the UK so I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

 
 
In 2012 I decided to buy an artificial tree which I love.  It doesn't photograph well - the tree doesn't look dull as it appears in photos. It actually looks quite real and I love the fact that the lights are bright white and are an integral part of the tree.  No more struggling with a skein of tangled tree lights, only to find they don't work and then have to go through the hassle of finding which little bulb has come loose!
 
My husband and I always had a 'Real" tree which we sourced from nearby farms or plant nurseries. But they never lasted for the whole of the Christmas period ( centrally heated houses aren't conducive to keeping the needles from falling!).  Finally three years ago I gave in and we bought an artificial tree. And I have loved it!
 
It is a tree full of decorations holding so many memories.
The decorations have been gathered over 44 years and I remember them all.
 


Here is a red and white pipe cleaner figure.  For several years after our children were born my eldest sister bought two or three decorations for our children to put on the tree and at the same time bought the same ones for her children. Last week we visited her and I looked at the same decorations on her tree. My little granddaughter loved finding the same decorations that she had helped me to put up on Granny's Tree.
 
Here is a little foil angel, one of a set of ten which I bought almost 40 years ago from Oxfam.  They came with us from Northumberland where both of our children were born and this year once more help us to celebrate Christmas here in Warwickshire, our 34th Christmas here.

 
 Another pipe cleaner decoration bought by my sister.
 
 
 
This angel is made from raffia, another set of ten angels bought from Oxfam, I think a year or two before the foil angels were bought.



And a salt dough heart which has Emmanuel written in gold lettering, bought from my Church's Christmas Fayre when our children were small. There are three on our tree.


A Christmas Tree is part of my family's Christmas traditions. When I was a little girl every year a small artificial tree magically appeared on our sideboard on Christmas morning. I marvelled at how Santa remembered to bring the same decorations each year - I knew them all by heart.  Now, of course, I know the tree was bought for my eldest sister in 1936, her first Christmas.  She still has 2 of the original baubles which she puts on her tree each year.
 
When we were married I continued the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree, adding to the decorations each year and enjoying decorating it with the help of our children.
 
For the last three years I have loved my granddaughter helping and watching her remember the decorations, just as her Mummy and her Uncle (who died almost 20 years ago, so she only knows from photographs) did.
 
So, our tree is full of memories.
 
I wish you a Merry and peaceful Christmas and hope that today you add to your store of memories.

1 comment:

  1. Very nice tree. All those memories of decorations. Merry Xmas

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