Last weekend, it was good to see the animated faces of the crafters who look in on Julia's WOYWW blog hop each week.
This week I'm not sharing a desk but just a bunch of Christmas do dahs from my home!
The tree is now on its 45th Christmas. My husband arrived home with it on the top of the car when we lived in Alexandria, Virginia in 1976. It stayed with us there for three years and then came home to Hampshire, where we have lived ever since. I did have one emergency call when I was teaching back in the 1980's, from our cleaning lady who was worried to death as the top half of the tree had collapsed over onto the floor. The central support of the tree is made up of two poles, which fitted together with a tube a bit like a toilet roll middle but made from tough cardboard. Over the years this had deteriorated and unraveled, so I took a quick trip to the hardware store and was given a little aluminium tube which fitted perfectly and has been used ever since. This year I had to give a little first aid to the sections of bark, made from plastic, which separate the roundels of branches, but it's good to go for a few more years. The real question is how much longer I'll be able to scramble up into the loft to get it out and away again each year.
Since retiring we have loved to travel and I like to try to bring home tree decorations from places we have visited.
Snowshoes from Quebec City
Mask from Venice
Emu from Australia
Cotton Flower angel from Georgia
Eagle from Alaska
This is our Christmas Nativity from Germany. The heat from the lit candles causes the windmill blades to rotate, so the characters move around too!. The trick is angling the blades so that they actually go forwards rather than backwards!
Today I'll leave you with another watercolour of yet another Jack Russell.
Take care and stay safe everyone!
What lovely decorations Chrissie. So good to have memories each year of different places. Good to 'meet' you on Saturday too. Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #4
ReplyDeletewhat gorgeous tree decorations! Great to see you on Saturday! Happy WOYWW Helen #3
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Tree and decorations Chrissie, how fabulous that it has made it that far. My last Tree made 20 years before snapping fully decorated making a graceful crash as we watched on (it was a sad day!!) Replaced 3 years ago I still miss the old one. Glad you too managed to meet up online with the WoywW folk, sounds like you all had great fun. You wee jack russell watercolour is fantastic.. Happy WoywW Tracey #7 x
ReplyDeleteYour tree looks lovely Chrissie- would you like to come and put mine up😂😂
ReplyDeleteLovely to meet you again on Saturday! Your tree is beautiful and I loved hearing the story behind it and the decorations, how special are they?!
ReplyDeleteHugs LLJ 10 xxx
Ooh, lovely decorations, and the tree is beautiful. Your German Christmas Nativity is quite spectacular. It was great meeting up on Saturday and putting faces to names, although it was a little hectic and confusing when we went on to two pages! Love the watercolour of the Jack Russell, there is so much character in that little face.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good week,
Diana xx #20
Hi Chrissie, oh my, you've just brought back a childhood Christmas memory with the German decoration. We used to have a brass (coloured, at least) version,with angels suspended below the windmill blades, which rotated when the birthday cake sized candles were lit. Not thought about that for years! How amazing to have a tree holding so many memories, and so many beautiful decorations.Stay safe, have a lovely week, Hugs, Shaz #12. X
ReplyDeleteIt was so fun to "meet" you on Zoom. I didn't have the same views you had. My view was each person individually as they spoke. Sometimes it was confusing when several were talking at once, but it was still fun. Although you couldn't see me, I was able to see you, and felt I was there.
ReplyDeleteI love your tree. I wish I had room for such a large one. It's a real gem. So much nicer than the ones they are making today. No wonder you have held on to it so long. You are certainly well traveled and the lovely ornaments are a real testament to that. Happy WOYWW from #2.
What a great idea to have decs from around the world. They're beautiful. I hope our tree lasts that long!! Hugs, Sue. #24 xx
ReplyDeleteHappy WOYWDW What a lovely tree, and all those ornaments from different place, Love the painting.
ReplyDeleteI am moving back to Hampshire soon to be with my family, its where I was brought up. Eastleigh. and its changed so much
Take care and stay safe,
Lilian B #14
Take care and stay safe, Lilian B
Your tree is very pretty!
ReplyDeleteHugz,
Chana Malkah, #31
My goodness, that is one handsome Christmas tree! I could have sworn it originated from America - you can't get these lush things in the UK and it doesn't show its age at all. Lovely that you decorated it with things collected from all over the world - no doubt each with a story attached to it! The doggie painting is wonderful too - so realistic! It was lovely seeing you an Saturday, even though we didn't get a chance to talk! Happy #601! xx zsuzsa #23
ReplyDeleteChrissie, your Christmas tree story is amazing!! 45 years!! Wow and I think it still looks wonderful!!! I love, love all of your ornaments!! I too try to bring home an ornament from places I have visited! Such memories, that will last sometimes longer than a photo!! The nativity from Germany is something I would love to have, it's beautiful!! Although, I would be very scared to put candles in that precious item because I am known to have disaster follow me!!! LOLOL Another beautiful Jack Russell painting! I think I told you last time that we had families of Jack Russell's as our kids were growing up! The best kid friendly dogs in my opinion. I have heard otherwise from folks, but we never had issues!! Your portrait makes me miss them all! Blessings to you! Felicia, #29
ReplyDeleteLoving all your Christmas cheer, and the painting is gorgeous. It was so lovely to see you on Saturday. Happy WOYWW. Take care and stay safe. With Love & God Bless, Caro xxx (#33)
ReplyDeleteHappy WOYWW. We made the mistake of buying a tree a few years ago that has glitter on the branches. It still sheds glitter over everything. It was too expensive (despite buying it in the sale only 3 days before the big day!) to get rid of it. I buy a couple of new decorations each year, and have a very wide mix of styles. Ali x. #16
ReplyDeleteHi Chrissie, you're so right it was brilliant on Saturday and can't wait to do it again. I thought I'd never get to the posts today, three deliveries of craft stuff, one delivery of a surprise raffle prize, walking dogs, sorting mum's vaccination, trying to finish some cards and that's without the usual stuff like cooking Lol! Loving your tree too and your decorations. Wishing you a lovely creative week, Angela x19x
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely to catch up with so many on Saturday! It all worked very well.
ReplyDeleteLove all your Christmas decorations. Our last tree went to the charity shop after last Christmas and just before our move to Australia - so we have had to invest in a new one.
Another lovely Jack Russell!
Happy 601st WOYWW!
Stay Safe and Keep Well...
Susan #9
Calling All Crafters! – My personal Blog!
How lovely to have all those reminders of holidays spent abroad and how lovely they all are. I miss going to the German Christmas markets - a thing we did each year for quite a while, until my back problem. I still long to go when this Covid thing disappears but doubt I will be fit enough.
ReplyDeleteYour German decoration reminds me of the gluhwein stalls they have.
Thanks for the memory you stirred.
Hugs, Neet 8 xx
Wow your tree has lasted a long time! Some unusual decorations there. It was great on Saturday, happy WOYWW Angela #25
ReplyDeleteSo lovely you have managed to keep the same tree for such a long time. So many memories with all the beautiful ornaments too ;) Viv xx
ReplyDeleteThat tree has survived very well, all those years, Chrissie. What unusual decorations too and a lovely memory of lots of different places visited. My favourite is the Alaskan eagle, with the Venetian mask a close second - very artistic! I love the German version of the angel chimes too. We used to have angel chimes when I was a child but I got very tired of the jingly noise they made all the time! Yours is a lot more fun and unusual. German things like that are always beautiful. Your latest painting is stunning.
ReplyDeleteHappy belated WOYWW,
Shoshi #18
What a great post! I love your tree and special souvenir decorations! We decorated ours today and I enjoyed reminiscing about the places we bought our decorations:)
ReplyDelete