The 1st December is a very important day in the Evans household. It’s when we choose a Christmas tree and I’ll be honest, I wake up more excited than an adult probably should be, every single year.
Our local forest has a Forestry Commission tree shop and we buy from there because money raised from tree sales helps maintain the area for wildlife and visitors. It was raining on Saturday but we went out anyway. I thought wet weather would be enough to put other people off but it was actually quite busy. Clearly, they were just as eager.
I named our first forest tree Limmy. Each subsequent tree has been treated as a descendant because they’ve been grown in the same place and this year’s tree is Limmy III. He only just fit in our tiny car! One day, I’d love to drive home with a tree attached to the roof like people do in films.
These decorations are around sixty years old and I always look forward to seeing them again. Each one is made from thin, painted glass with a metal top. I wonder what events they’ve seen unfold in all their years of hanging on Christmas trees 🙂
We try and buy one special decoration each year. The idea being that by the time we are old and crinkly, every tree ornament will have a story. And I don’t care if everything is completely mismatched!
A colleague’s wife made the heart a few years ago. The small coin is a Norwegian Krone and I strung 5 onto threads; one for each mountain we explored in Bergen. They are a reminder of the slightly embarrassing but funny situation where I briefly removed my top close to one of the summits and realised I was within gawking distance of the cable cars afterwards. Slightly mortified.
I made the Dolly Peg man from a craft kit my best friend bought me a few years ago. The wooden star came from the Hebden Bridge area in Yorkshire, where some of my family live. It’s a beautiful place.
The wooden lady and Dala Horse came from Skansen (Sweden) earlier in the year. We bought the glass wreath from a Christmas fair in the village — I came away with rosy cheeks after trying local bubbly and gin!
Carving something out of the tree stump has become a yearly tradition and past trees have become a mini herb spoon and a butter knife. I’m not sure when I’ll make from Limmy III yet. Perhaps a spatula or a decoration to hang on the tree next year.
I wish it could stay up all year. I’m not fussed about decorating the rest of the house but I do love the tree and lights! Now I just need to buy a box of mince pies and I’ll feel well and truly Christmassy.
P.S. I made all the gift wrap for the presents this year.
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