Yesterday on the way to my stint in the village charity shop,

I popped into the smaller Cat & Kitten Rescue charity shop

( Bramble came from the rescue twelve years ago

and they provide a wonderful rescue for abandoned

cats & kittens

or those who need re-homing )

I bought some tea lights & small candles.

I like having a few twinkling away in the winter evenings.

Later I found out why the pretty pack of candles were donated..

they last all of half an hour !

Oh well they were only a pound !

One pound also for the box of pretty baubles !

I'm not sure if they are old

but they remind me of the ones we had on our Christmas tree

when we were young.

Dad would stand the tree on a wooden toy box

& drape a brightly coloured cloth around the base.

Then he'd add the lights.

He used to freshen up the baubles in Silver dip !

Then it was our turn -

my three brothers & Icould decorate the tree.

We had clip on feather birds

and decorations like the ones above.

Sadly when my parents separated

and both eventually moved completely out of the area I grew up in

the Christmas decorations remained with my dad

and due to various factors

they are long gone.

Sad as I would love to have had them.

Choosing & decorating our Christmas tree 

has always been a highlight of Christmas.

I usually add something new every year.

This year I bought these...

It seemed silly not to put them out straight away

so I've put them in a heart shaped bowl Jess gave me

but Finn has decided they are his toys

picking them up by the string one by one

then flicking them all over the lounge !

They just might have to be left out when we pack the decorations away !

We don't put the tree up too early

but it does stay up til twelfth night...

in memory of celebrating

the night of the Kings

when we lived in Spain.