Barmy Blue's Bland Blog

Well. The tree is finally up. I put it up in the early hours of the morning, didn't get to bed until 7am. Had a slight problem with the needles. Because it was so late....or early depending on your point of view, I didn't want to use the hoover because it's quite loud and might disturb the neighbours. So I had to get down on my hands and knees and sweep the floor with a dustpan and brush.

I hoped to have the tree set up for when mum got back from walkies. Extremely wishful thinking. But after all that work the tree looked pretty good.

Tonight I put the lights on. Not very well but it'll do and we put on some of the new decorations I got.....well....I picked out and mum bought. We have 2 cheap looking polar bears but they have beautiful eyes. They reminded me a little of the old bears mum has. She has these cute little polar bears, koalas and pandas with grippy arms, kind of like a peg, that hug the branches. They're really lovely. These new bears are nothing like them but I just kind of responded to them in the same way. We got a standing bear and a sitting bear and we've hung them up so there's a branch underneath, so it looks like their standing/sitting on a branch instead of hanging. It's quite adorable.

I also picked out 3 pairs of birds. One pair are green with a red and white breast like a robin and the other two pairs are basically the same but one's white glitter and the other's silver. They all have real white feathers for their tails and wings. They're so sweet.

Now the back story behind this is that some many years ago I bought myself a sweet little purple bird with green glittery wings and a white feather for a tail (it's smaller than the new ones). I didn't have a plan for it. I just thought it was nice. It has a little pinchy bit (again a bit like a peg) so it can be clipped onto things.

When I got it mum told me about the decorations her mother used to have. Apparently she had bright little birds just like it with the same clippy bit and real feather tail. It was unused for some time until one year mum stuck it on the tree. I was a little annoyed that she'd taken my bird but I did like it there and it's not like I had a home for it. So, begrudgingly, I let her use it as a decoration.

However, the year after, and all subsequent years I very much look forward to seeing it on the tree. I think it brings back a little nostalgia for mum. Only problem is it's all alone. Ah. I lie. There is another bird with a feather tail but it's not the same.

When I was little, in the days before Christmas, we'd run out of pins to hang the ceiling decorations and mum sent me out to the newsagent's to get some more. It was my very first solo visit anywhere. I bought the pins and saw they had a lovely robin with a feather tail and wires on its feet (to tie it to a branch). I had enough money to buy it so I did.

I got this robin because it reminded me a little of the robin on the candle holder we use at Christmas Dinner.

Anyway. Long story short. I thought these new birds would be a nice addition to the tree and, although they're not the same as the ones my nanny had, I thought they were kind of similar, in concept if nothing else. Mum seems to like them enough so that's great. And now my little bird won't be the only clippy, feathered bird.

Also, I mentioned I have a thing for bells this year didn't I? I got five decorations made of little bells. I've been interested in the larger jingly bells on sale this year but they don't make the pleasing tinkling noise I want in a Christmas bell so I was pleased to find these.

I got a multicoloured and a gold wreath shaped tree decoration and a red and green, a silver and a gold ball tree decoration. They make a very pleasing sound. We've put those on the tree too. We tried to put them on branches that might wobble if we thud about the room too much in the hopes that they'll jingle. I'm not sure if they will but it's not that big of a deal.

Mum went on another mysterious outing again today. I don't ask where or why just in case she's buying presents for me. If it's not some kind of surprise for me then she'd probably tell me where and why. I don't pry to try and be respectful. While she was out she got me a replacement bag of plain flour. Wanted to bake today but there was no room in the kitchen. Don't ask why. You really don't want to know.

In other news we've heard noises in the living room that is almost indisputable proof that the mice have now invaded here as well. I wonder if they were attracted by the flour. It was on my desk until I found somewhere to put it. They probably came in while we were dealing with the tree. The door was wide open.

Yuki's still trying to eat the needles so I have to sweep vigorously for her own safety. I was very strict with her yesterday so now I think she understands that eating needles will earn her a smack. I'm so worried that one of them might scratch or puncture something inside her. You just don't know. Or that she might choke on them.

Anyway.

Today I got a holly leaf and Yuki got a green knot bone.

We plan to do a final shop tomorrow (it's best to get things like the cream and vegetables as close to Christmas as possible and we sure as hell aren't doing it on Christmas Eve. That'd be a nightmare).

Despite the planning and secret schemes Christmas seems to have snuck up on me this year.

I know. Weird right?

All those plans and check lists I made to make sure I had everything done in time seem pretty useless. They're only half done.....not even half. And we still haven't found the hanging decorations. Where the heck could they be?

Oh well. Either it works out or it doesn't. We'll see how it goes.

Bluebiird out.