Tree Party 2023

Sue started the tree party tradition sometime around the mid-eighties when we began having Christmas, or at least part of it, at ours. Until then, we had driven the 200 miles from Sarnia to Toronto join, first my parents, and then hers for Christmas.

Early in the eighties (I think ~1983 or 4), my parents moved to Sarnia, and we had Christmas, or at least Christmas Day, at home. Usually on Boxing Day, we would make the trip to Toronto to celebrate with her clan. But before Christmas, come late November or early December, we would have my parents and our friend, Val, over to decorate the tree with us.

These forty or so years later, the tradition continues. Shauna kept it going at her place once we moved here in 2005. Last Friday evening, November 23 2023, we gathered once more.

Between Sue and me, we captured many photos, but, thankfully, Sue coalesced a number of them into collages to spare us some space

Speaking of Sue, let us begin with her comfortably sitting by the faux fire with a glass of wine beside her.

Also beside her are three of my mother's smocked balls — three of the many that she crafted, We choose a few to hang each year, Sue chose the white one, and I the red or one of the reds. I wrote in more detail about mom's smocking least year in Present Via Her Crafting, so I shan't go on, except to point out that that we are hanging the smocked balls in the two bottom photos of this ↓ collage.

Jonathan has traditionally put the topper on the tree.
This year, he didn't require a ladder to do it.

Here ↓ is a close-up of Sue's offering with a bit of mine off the the right.

Work proceeded.

Snuggles were had.

Many moments were captured: more than you see here. Danica kept her hair hidden for the most part because she wasn't happy with it for some reason.

Although I am holding the big camera, above, I soon switched the phone,
which worked better in the dim conditions.

Soon, the 2023 tree sat proudly in her finery.

Sabine was happier once the hubbub subsided. Shauna reports that so far she is being good, content to sit under the tree and to refrain from climbing it, even if she does look impish.