I love this time of year!

[jonesy1]

My Dad loved Christmas and was Father Christmas at a local childrems ward for 50 years. He made Christmas magical for me and I have always trired to do the same for my family. Today I am off with my youngest daughter (38 years old) to buy our trees, real ones of course love the smell, as it has come a tradition to do and I have decided I need to start decorating the house now so that by Christmas I might have had enough bursts of energy to finish them or I will be able to play Grumpy in the panto!

Hope you are all feeling good.

Sue

[Thaddeus]

My mother had a 35ft Chrismas tree in her front garden. It had been bought in the 70's and was dug up each year and put in a brass pot, then planted back in the front garden where it remained at about 4 foot tall. Then in the mid 90's it was put in the front garden and it took off. So with the thing in danger of dislodging the overhead power cables and totally filling the garden it became plain that it had to come down.

My brother is currently over from Norway where he used to 'secure' the mountains ~ which means removing trees and rock which might cause a landslide, as well as netting up sections of rock etc etc.

I really couldnt see how he was going to drop it in so small a space without destroying either the power lines or the next door house or infact himself.

I supplied a ladder, but refused to be present as I feared for all involved. -I said to hire a hiab.

But he did and all credit to him -This from a man who had his back broken in a rockfall.

So having a van, my son and I had the grand job of taking the top 12ft of tree to the church to be used as their Christmas tree. Naturally it wouldnt fit so we had to trim here and there and driving with the stem through the cab was interesting. And that smell # WOW!

Funny how Christmas makes you look back on year gone by. I think that I will miss that little tree which was dragged into service so many times. But then again the tale of how it was dropped and how we struggled to get it into the van will be the stuff of stories in years to come.

I do love this time of year.

[jonesy1 in reply to Thaddeus]

I have tried twice to grow a tree but have always failed so I am very impressed by your Mum;s one and you definately have a story to tell every christmas. I like the way that even though you had to cut it down it is still bringing joy this year at the church.

Sue x

[Hidden]

I have wonderful memories of Christmas's gone by. The whole family would come together at my Nan's in South London. The women would be busy in the kitchen, nattering over a sherry or three. while the men disappeared down the pub. My cousin's and me would run riot around the house, hiding away our midnight feast. We would have a hearty dinner before settling in around the Christmas tree for a good sing song. My Nan would pull out oranges and other nibbles from behind wardrobes and inside drawers for weeks after.

I'm definately looking forward to Christmas with my family. x

[Thaddeus in reply to Hidden]

Love it.

[jonesy1 in reply to Hidden]

Sounds like my childhood christmas, we always went to my Nan's with the whole family. Now my daughters and my grandchildren (and dog) come to mine. So with 3 dogs and 2 grandchildren in the house I too find bits hidden around the place long after they have gone and hopefully before anything has had time to go mouldy lol.

Sue x

[jonesy1]

Well we got the trees for myself and 2 daughters and managed to get them in my car, a 7ft, a 6ft and a 5ft without too much of a struggle. Now they are all standing on my patio waiting for the time to put them up in our houses and everytime I go out the back door I get that beautiful pine smell. I am icing the christmas cake today, peeling the onions to be pickled and hopfully moving the living room round in preparation for fitting in the tree, which of course will look a lot bigger in my living room than it did when I bought it lol. I love it.

Sue x

[NatashaW]

Hope you have a lovely time and a wonderful Christmas too. x