Memory Tree

My second journal entry for the day - so now I’ve finally caught up! 

Opening the boxes of Christmas decorations releases memories that have been sealed away for many months. I’ve never understood the notion of changing Christmas themes or colour schemes from year to year; for us, it’s always been a case of building up our seasonal store, adding a few special ornaments each year, and so I can link almost all our pieces to a special time. 

This little ‘tree’ of twisted willow holds our most travelled Christmas pieces. There are kangaroos, koalas and penguins from Australia (fairy penguins that we watched coming ashore three Christmases ago in Tasmania); papier-mâché baubles from Rajasthan; Santas on elephants or peacocks and leather reindeer from the once-headhunting-now-Christian Nagaland; coconut angels from Tanzania; llamas from Peru. Each one contains a special memory.