Advent Calendar 2021 day 1

 Oh this year I have the first door and the first day in the Advent Calendar hosted by Jo over at serendipitous stitching

For those of you new to the advent, each participating blogger is assigned a day, asked to post a picture of something Christmas themed and answer a question. Click here for the link to previous years advents and hops

So I shall start with a little bit of Christmas themed stitching with this tinsel adorned cat by Durene Jones, aptly named Christmas cat.

And this years question, tell us about your tree.  Well for many years our tree was a very old (even older now, it must be over 80 ) tree with a little wooden base, fold down branches that even had little clasps to hold candles. We always hung glass fish with bristle tails from the bottom branches.  Unusual and I have never seen any others, I asked my mother about them and she said that they had not always had a tree, when she was young they had a wind bush that hung from the ceiling and the fish hung from that. (I will try and add pictures of the fish later if you are curious and want to pop back on 24th).they are also rather old and fragile and have a rest some years.

Now we still have that tree, but after years and years of enthusiastic folding and unfolding the branches are not as securely held as once they were.  we had a few years with a fibre optic tree but getting the bulb replaced when it wore out was not successful, and too may bendings to fit it into the box was making it rather lopsided.

As the years have passed something smaller and simpler has become the norm, and lights have joined the decorations both old, handmade and each year at least one thing that is new.  I no longer attempt to put everything we have on there every year.  Sometimes we have a colour theme sometimes not.

The top used to be a star, but recently it has been a cross stitched Fairy, and last year the elves perched up the top as well.

Now I am adding a picture of our tree from last year with the lights as well this years tree is still in the loft and that is where it will stay till Christmas Eve as traditionally in our home we do not decorate until then (other than my Christmas Embroideries which go up today). (maybe I will pop back on 24th an update with this years alongside the fishes)

Yes those are hoops in the background , quilting hoops not cross stitch.

Don't forget tomorrow to go over to serendipitous stitching for the link to door 2.

I wish you all the joys of the season and that all your Christmas preparations will be complete in time for you to relax and enjoy the day.

The countdown has begun!

For those popping back  to see fish here they are.

I don't know what the box they originally came in looked like.

This is the box that they have been kept in as long as I can recall.

Here they are in the box.

Alongside glass trumpets and horns (they made a sound when I was little but over enthusiastic blowing ruptured the papers and they are silent now).

They have not gone on the tree this year but this is what they look like as they spin, as I was making the little videos I could hear a particular tune in my head and it was not a Christmas one.

 

And not quite last this years tree, more lights and a silver and gold theme not for any design reason but because I have a cold and they were the easiest to reach as the little ones are the new to us this year baubles.

And on the top, well this year it is a bow, for my brother however it is a fairy, a mouse fairy, a once was a real mouse now a tree topper mouse fairy as there is a taxidermist in his wife's family.