Out With the Old and In With the New

Hello to you all for a final time in 2025.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas, however you celebrated the day. Here in this small corner, we had a wonderful time which was quieter, less busy and more relaxed than we have had for a long time. I put that down to being Christmas-ready much earlier, but also limiting what we were able to do in the time, whether that was baking or crafting.

Just before Christmas, our family visited Worcester Cathedral to see their Christmas tree festival. It was a fantastic display with many wonderfully decorated trees. Children, charities and other organisations decorated trees. Each tree was personal and decorated beautifully. Most were based on a traditional tree shape, but some people made theirs from wood battens and other household objects. We also saw a tree made from different-coloured strips of light and a tiered wine bottle tree, complete with a very large champagne bottle on top. Here are just a few of the trees we saw.

(sorry about the added thumb!)

(The coffee cup tree)

(Just lights)

(All dressed up with a Christmas tree skirt)

(All knitted)

(Patchwork)

Back at home, D and I did manage a little Christmas crafting together. We found some ceramic baubles lurking in a cupboard and covered them with some pretty robin paper napkins.

I also made a batch of chutney with my helpful hubby doing much of the chopping of the fruit and veg. He is becoming a man of new talents since his retirement!

And so as the old year ends and a new one begins, D and I wish you every happiness and good health for 2026. May it be a good year for all of us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE

🎉🎉🎉