The Joyful things

As the New Year starts something happened today which made me want to record all the small joyful things of 2013.

More later of the joyful thing that happened today. First a think back at the risk of sounding like Pollyanna ..all the things that have made me glad so far.

The first joyful thing was to be in the company of good friends as the New Year came in.

The next morning I felt a little worse for wear and took Hetty for a walk in the mist. Great lungsful of fresh winter air rejuvenated me and made me feel fantastic and glad to be alive.

Later in the week I treated myself to a new watch with my christmas money. A small joy, choosing, selecting, trying and deciding, having had a very cheap one with  a broken strap for quite some time.

The joy of Friday was being able to help my Mum sort out her tripped out electricity circuit...she was so relieved.
Of course Hetty always makes me glad especially when she sits with her legs out like this.

 And now for the thing that happened today and started it off.
I was in church at the Epiphany mass.
We had just had communion and were all sitting quietly for a few moments meditation when little Annie-Rose Perkins the almost 3 year old daughter of a couple started to sing. No one had put her up to it.  She just began.
Her little piping voice went through two verses of 'Away in a manger' almost perfectly.
Its a very small church and everyone was listening with bated breath (including the priest) and when she finished there was a collective almost audible smile of joy.
Its something I'll remember for a long time.

Christmas is over, and the tree comes down tonight. Its been a nice tree and I'm sad to take it out.

 Here are two fine fellows new to my Christmas story.
Would you like two the same?
I got them from Homecrafts direct who asked me to review the product in return for a pair of my own and a pair to giveaway. Do click the link and have a look at their website, there's tons of useful stuff there, its amazing. They are papier mache and are meant to be decorated but I didn't have time to do anything with them before christmas so they just stood in the window in their birthday suits and I think they look lovely from inside...

 and from outside.

If you would like to win a pair for yourself just leave a comment here with some sort of related message. Perhaps you have some ideas of what to do with them? I might paint mine white and add some decoration.

You might have better ideas. There's a whole twelve months to get them ready for next Christmas!
Over to you.

The Secret life of Christmas Decorations.

Each year Christmas arrives more quickly than it did the year before.

Is it really 12 months since I got the decorations out?

Each one is laden with memory.
(I'm sorry the pictures are so dark but it didn't seem appropriate to use flash.)

This is one of two paper lanterns from my childhood tree, at least 57 years old and the inspiration for these.





Next is one of a batch we made in 1977, our first Christmas together when we had no money to buy many Christmas decorations. We used a cardboard tube cut into rings and cooking foil.




These are from a trip to Copenhagen in 1984 when I was pregnant with my second son.



And here are my two lovely peg dolls new this year from Sesga, and they will become part of the history of my tree decorations..


This is what happens to your poinsettia when an old blind dog has a good wag a bit too near it.




This is my first blog Christmas and I must say how much I have enjoyed my first 8 months.
The pleasure I have had from reading your blogs has been matched by the friendship support and encouragement you have given me.


I've celebrated, agonised, moaned, complained, puzzled, rejoiced..and you have been ready for me with your comments ..most of which have made me smile and feel grateful to have discovered this amazing world.



I wish all of you my dear friends, readers, contacts, wherever you are, a very peaceful and Happy Christmas.


xx
(Sorry..that sounds so corny..but I really mean it)