Packing the memories away for another year!

Wednesday
Another very cold, mainly grey day, with a high of 24F ( - 5C). The afternoon was a bit brighter, with occasional small patches of pale blue sky teasing you from time to time, only to disappear again! As I’m writing this at 11pm, the outside temperature is 10F ( -12C)
I’m a bit late taking down the Christmas stuff this year - I usually reckon to do it on the 6th. As I was taking the ornaments off our family room tree, I took pictures of a few of them that had special memories. Top left is the most special, marking the first Christmas of our first child, our daughter Jen. The green one lower right was the first Christmas for our son Philip. I don’t have an equivalent one for Laura as we were living in France at the time, and I didn’t find anything equivalent. The large porcelain one lower left has a special memory. It was a gift from Shirley, the associate pastor at our previous church back in 2012. She was leading an Advent class on Handel’s Messiah and the Bible, and she gave one to each member of the class. There is a simple nativity scene on the other side. It became more poignant, since she would pass away a couple of years later, from cancer. The metal angel lower center was bought from Metamora a historic canal town in Indiana, which makes a lovely place to visit especially during the holidays, when it’s all decorated for the holidays, and they have luminaries along the streets at the weekends. This dates back to 2001 when we went as a family. This one I had marked on the back with the place and date, unfortunately I haven’t done that with many, or it wasn’t a design that I could do it on. The Currituck Llighthouse ornament is from North Carolina.
Being in a somewhat contemplative mood as I was putting things away, I didn’t get as much done today as I’d hoped. I’ve done the family room tree, which is artificial, and that is back in its box, but there’s still other Christmas items to put away, and then the larger tree in the living room. The candle lights in the windows I shall leave up until the end of January - to bring a bit of cheer and light to people passing by.
We both went to the gym this afternoon - not a big deal for Roger as he goes fairly regularly, but it had been many months for me, and I could feel how my level of fitness has declined, despite the outdoor exercise I do, so I’ve got to get back to it!