Christmas/Solstice decorating

Usually we don't decorate until the solstice. Our trees come from the local florist, Galdric. This year he wasn't selling regular trees, but smaller ones in pots, a living tree. We always bought a table tree in case Sherlock thinks we had installed an indoor toilet for him.

How wonderful. 

I like the idea of having a living tree. Other years, I've gathered the needles and thrown them into the river, a ceremonial burial of sorts, a return to nature. Now we can put the tree outside and hopefully next year it will be our tree again.

Sunday, Rick and I put on our traditional Christmas hats, played Christmas carols and brought down our decorations from the closet.

Most of the decorations were painted by my daughter and I when she was three. Over the years some have been added, gifts from friends. A couple were dated and he mentioned they were 40 to 50 years old. They've hung on a lot of trees over the years.
 

Some tough decisions had to be made on what decorations to use. Size became a major factor, but then we also decided to put some of the bigger ones on our front door. Other families on the street have also put up decorations. Most of our street traffic is on foot. Sherlock will guard the decorations.

Lastly, I hung the stockings Llara embroidered for Rick and I. Mine she did a lifetime ago when we still lived on The Riverway in Boston. She did one for herself too, but switched who would get which one when my Japanese Chin Albert peed on the one intended for her. He was house trained but it was during a bad snowstorm, and Albert hated going out in the snow. Of course it was well washed before she presented the stocking to me.

This year, since neither of us can think of anything we want or need, we decided to limit our gifts to the book we give one another on Christmas Eve before going to bed to read them. This year, we may add to the Icelandic tradition of including hot chocolate. As for gifts, I have everything I want and am blessed with my life.

I will do a traditional dinner having cranberry sauce and pumpkin from the now defunct American store in Colligny, Switzerland stashed in my cupboard.

The flat feels festive. When we go out the village is decorated too.

 Ho Ho Ho! 

Note: Wednesday I will publish Chapter 3 of Lexington: Anatomy of a Novel.