Its Christmas time......

 Christmas is arriving bit by bit here this year, this display went out on 1st, I love this nativity set, from Spain and many years old. I now always put my collection of trees with them. I have a few displays around the sitting room and hall, all high enough, away from George and Molly. 

I rather like the tree with just lights, I put it up on yesterday and added the lights, it's a bit shorter than other years, the bottom  branches were scruffy, so hubby took the ring they fix into off the trunk and shortened it. I don't think it notices, the lower branches are now higher off the floor, which I like. It will last a few more years. I intend to finish dressing the tree today, I like to do it on my own, with Christmas music playing, the angel on top never stays straight, I don't like her, but hubby loves her, so she stays.

I got the 2 plants for this display, a white hellebore and red cyclamen,  I went to get both white, but loved the bright red. My sister paid for the cyclamen,  she was hoping I would see something she could get to finish my Christmas present. I am pleased with this spot, last year I used a basket given to me by my sister, this year I purchased the white kitchen container. My Amaryllis is starting to bloom, a bit early, but I may have purchased another, so the display will last longer. This display is the only real plants, everything else around the house is silk and years old, I love I can reuse most if my decorations, 

I love having loads of little lights around our home, I use battery operated lights instead of tea lights, these days I have sets which turn on at about 4pm, stay on for 6 hours and then turn themselves off, the next day they come back on at 4pm, it saves me having to turn things off before bed. I use rechargeable batteries,  we have enough for every set, the rest of the year they sit in a drawer. The tree lights have always been on a timer, this year we have a Tapo socket, which is controlled by Alexa, I can sit in my chair and turn them on, but more importantly the sockets are in the corner at the back, safely away from the children. 

I'm not sure what is going wrong, but Blogger would not let me comment using my phone whilst away, I am signed into Blogger, as I can post whilst away, it's a pain, but we don't have any more trips away booked until next spring, it won't be a problem for now.

Nothing much happening here, my back is aching,  too many car journeys over the weekend  and a busy few days back at home, sorting decorations.  I can rest most evenings  and I am sleeping well. I have finished all the Christmas gifts, I would say we, but hubby does not get involved, often when someone thanks us for their gift, hubby will ask, what did we get you. I do show him everything before wrapping, but he is not interested at all, his Christmas list just has my name on. We only need the fresh food for Christmas,  which we will get in the village, so I do feel happy everything was sorted before the madness started.

Daughter has just been informed there is a case of Strep A in the junior school, next to Will's infant school, it's a bit scary, she is watching her three, it would not be good if George catches it. There are so many horrible bugs, and so many families have children in both schools. There is also Scarlet fever going around, I'm keeping everything crossed they stay healthy. The junior school shut for a day for a deep clean, which is great, but it's the kids who have the bugs, and many are sent to school, when they should be home, but working parents don't have the choice of taking time off work.