A Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night

We have no lovely, snowy, wintery scenes at Christmas this year. It’s about as green as it could be outside. Inside, however, Christmas is evident in the cards from our friends, wrapped packages and hidden, and our tree. Full of decorations both hand-made and store-bought, bought and received as gifts, old and new, it is a tree of memories. This was made by my sister and my nieces; these were given to me by my mother for my first Christmas Tree in my own home. These belonged to my father, and these were bought in a fair trade shop in Salisbury.

Each one has a memory. Each is special.

‘Love’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Joy’ … Christmas blessings that I found in a shop here. They are tiny and delicate, rustic and sweet.

My mother gave me the pine cone and bell in this shot. The white rose on the left was my father’s. We always had bead strings on our trees when I was little and I continue that to this day.

Dad had these birds on his tree, Mum put the Santa in my stocking a few years back. The stars were with the pine cone and bell Mum gave me for my first tree.

Mum gave me the ceramic bird on the hoop last year – since my move. Dad used the little glass bird on his tree. The sparkly red beads were a gift from Mum many years ago.

We had a Noma Treetop Angel when I was little. When I got my first tree, I bought one, too.

My sister and nieces worked on the moon and stars ball; Mum taught me how to make the mildweed pod ornament. Mum gave me the Victorian angel, while Dad had the light reflecting deer ornament. The butterfly was a Valentine, but I love it on my tree.

I bought this Cornshuck Angel in a tiny shop in Toronto. She’s so touchingly simple.

Similar grouping, but shifted to the right, where the old memories are joined by a pretty red bauble I saw in a charity shop once and a gold snowflake that was attached to a Christmas gift one year.

Simple gold stars pick up bits of light, just like the stars in the heavens.

My Noma Angel will have to be replaced, sadly. I’ve grown out of her, for one thing. Mainly, however, it’s that she cannot handle the current here and she started to burn out last year. I still have her, safe in her box. So, I’m on the lookout for my new treetop. One day, I’ll see it. It will be quite clear to me in that moment. Until that day, we have a simple gold star. Two this year, as our tree has a very long stalk.

I have included photos from each of the three trees we’ve had since moving here. Different trees, different memories. I love this season – there are various celebrations for various peoples the world over. Even the celebration of Christmas differs slightly from place to place.

This place is far from them, but this tree keeps us close to those we love.

Blessed Yule; Merry Christmas.

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