Before and After

One of my neighbours commented that I was late getting my tree decorated this year, and I am usually the first in the Close to do so. They have their outside lights up across the road, and another neighbour has a small tree with lights in their front garden. I said I had been rather busy what with church life, school and a trip to London. But Wednesday - when I could not go out as the car was being serviced - I bit the bullet and began the task. First a mammoth tidy up of the house. It certainly needed it!

So that's the BEFORE shots. Here are the after pictures...

The stockings were made back in about 1988 - the spice-star came from Liz's trip to the German Christmas market last year.

 

This is my beautiful Demdaco Nativity set which Bob gave me a few years back.

 

 

I re-arrange my other figures to go alongside it.

 

These figures are great and the range is stunning.

 

Our tree is ancient- must be about twenty years old now - but at least it fits beautifully on the table! It positively drips with a vast accumulation of thirty years worth of ornaments - some handmade, some gifts, and some which are our holiday purchases - so each year we are reminded of friends and family, and faraway places.

 

The angel on the top I made back in 1986, with a little help from a very young Liz.

She's getting a bit thin on top, but I love her anyway.{the angel, not Liz]

The newest ornament is a Celtic Eagle, based on a design from the Book of Kells, we purchased him in Trinity College Dublin in August.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Star was from our silver wedding trip to the USA in 2004, and Pinocchio came from a trip to Florence in the same year.

 

This angel came in kit form from a trip to Scotland in 2000.

That was the first camping holiday Bob and I spent together.

And it rained unstopppably that summer too.

[Will we never learn?]

 

 

Even though the girls have grown- up and left home, I still hang the Advent Calendar each year - but no longer fill the pockets with little gifts.

The tradition used to be that each day they took it in turns to find two things in the pocket - a gift and a bible verse.By the 24th, we had the Christmas story stuck up on the wall alongside - and they each had 12 tiny gifts. I would collect these all year, so they were mostly "freebies" [IKEA pencils, giveaway balloons etc]

I admit that I do go overboard with decorations - but Christmas is such a wonderful time to celebrate. It is the birth of our Saviour.

I did NOT take any photographs of Harrods Christmas windows on Monday. They were all based on "007 and the Quantum of Solace". Can anyone explain to me how you reconcile James Bond and a film about death and revenge with the truth of the Birth of The Prince of Peace, God's gift of eternal life, forgiveness and unending love??? I think Mr Al Fayed has lost the plot there.

Oh, and another rant- "Nigella Christmas" what's that all about? she is Jewish after all. What next - "Delia Diwali" and "Ramsey Ramadan"???!!!

Peace and Joy to you all!