Generally Gemma

Christmas Mix

Way back in the distant mists of time that is before Christmas, I took a load of pictures of the Enchanted Forest and some of my favourite decorations. Then time got away from me as it is so often wont to do around my neck of the words and I never posted them!

I read round about the same time a post of Helen's about how sometimes Christmas left her cold and how it was only very recently that she "got" how it was that ornaments could be special. I have to say that to a certain extent I was with her. G and I had always spent Christmas apart up until last year and although I have always put up a tree it wasn't until last year that I started collecting my own set of "specials" as they are known in my family. See, M's tree is a tower of specials. Balls and ornaments that have been collected since she and my Dad got married and my Grandmother's tree is the same and last year G and I started collecting our very own.

This little fairy is a Gisella Graham that an Aunt sent me last year to commemorate the first non-parent Christmas. She is special because she is a holly fairy which as I am sure I have mentioned before is my middle name!

The felt tree is part of a set of felt hearts and trees that I bought from Cherry last year. They represent my first year of blogging and the friends that I've made through it.

G's 30th Christmas ornament. We picked this up at The Tower of London on his birthday this year.

These are two that I made this year. I also have trees and stars. I used a salt dough recipe that Ali posted. And although she has said that acrylic paint didn't work well for her I haven't any complaints. Acrylic paint and varnish seemed to do the job here, along with a bit of glitter. These are specials because M, G's Mum, Bro and I all have them on our trees, so it is like they are all connected in a magic Christmassy circle. (I'm a sad sap for that sort of thing!)

Which brings me nicely to this chap. My Grandmother and I both bought the same one this year when M was over visiting. I like him because he is sort of an old fashioned looking kind of a guy and I am all about the traditional for my tree. (Apart from the fact that it is of course artificial.)

I love Christmas trees but I HATE taking pictures of them, they never seem to capture the magic, the night time ones don't focus enough on the decorations and can look blurry and the daytime ones just look wrong. I am pretty sure that the answer is a more expensive camera but Father Christmas didn't feel up to one of those or a pony this Christmas. I am beginning to think that the pony is going to be non-starter after nearly twenty of years of asking for one on my list.

I was pretty please with the new Enchanted Forest though. Some people may think that a glade of three trees complete with sparkly reindeer is a little much, but I don't know I think it is just right.

Merry Christmas

I haven't been around much of late. Work and Christmas always seem to take me by surprise at this time of year. That and the fact that the light is so appalling most of the time that I haven't been able to take any pictures and I always feel that blogging without photos is sort of cheating.

But I didn't want to head off to G's family in Wales without wishing everyone out there in blogland a very Merry Christmas! It's been yet again a wonder to be involved in so many of your preparations through your blogs and I feel privileged to have been allowed a window into your homes and traditions. So once again Merry Christmas and thank-you. I hope that Father Christmas brings you everything your heart desires!

Love from G and Gemma

xxx

The Bear posts

I don't often get to leave the safety of Gemma's house as she is very scared that I will get lost. I have been to Wales before but that has been on the train. When I go on the train I stay in Gemma's bag because I don't want people laughing at her. Because after all most grown-ups don't take their friends with them when they go places.

But now that our little family has Brum it means that I get to see the scenery! Not that there is anything that interesting to look at on the way to Wales from our house. There was a big windmill.

A lot of sheep in frosty fields and lots of cones!

Then we eventually got to Wales.

And there was a BIG bridge

Then we had to PAY people to get into Wales. Gemma wasn't pleased about that. She started muttering at G that he could pick her up on the way home.

Then Gemma and I had a nap in the car park at B&Q while G was at the football. Because even though Gemma really didn't feel very well she still drove to Wales with him for company. I said I would go on my own with him but Gemma doesn't trust anyone else to look after me properly.

After we all got back from Wales we decorated the house and made the living room into an Enchanted Forest! (Well, really I just told Gemma and G where to put things, they don't really know what they are doing.) If I ask her nicely for you she might show you some of those pictures!

G Explains

Sorry to any of you who are patronised by this, but at Gemma's request....this works because the candle needs oxygen to burn, but that runs out after a few seconds. This creates a vacuum, nothing just appears in its place, thus the water is sucked up in place of where the oxygen was. Yes, like a vaccum cleaner as the would-be jesters in my class pointed out with unintentional correctness!

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Sorry for the unannounced blogging break, yet more illness struck, then we took Brum, the new car, to Cardiff and then there was tidying and decorating. The creation of the Enchanted Forest!!! See you all soon, no unannounced break this time!