Pages

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Friday's Hunt v. 4.22

I'm rather late in getting around to Friday's Hunt blog - it has been a busy weekend.  Just scraping in under the wire with my entries for Eden Hills' prompts!

Starts with V
We have two rats that we adopted from one of Marc's coworkers (her cat was scaring them so she was looking for a home where they would not be so frightened).  One rat is named Violet and the other is named Ivy, so they both have a V in their names, but only one starts with V.  We think they are lovely pets - easy to care for and easy to love.  They are fun to watch - although they are mostly nocturnal so we don't get to see them at their most active times.  Here is Violet yawning!

Our indoor cat, Mitten, does not even pay the slightest bit of attention to them.  Here is Violet again, after having a bath.

Festive
We actually put up and decorated a Yule tree yesterday!  We don't put one up every year.  In fact, I think I've only had a tree up once in the past 5 or so years.  However, we are now well settled in our home and it seemed like a good year to try to find the right spot for a tree.  It is an artificial tree because we are both very busy and remembering to water a tree is another thing on the list that neither of us really needs.  However, it is a nice quality tree and we had fun putting it up.

Marc carried the tree upstairs.

I added a festive bow to our house mouse's tail.

We assembled the tree and Pippin came to check it out.  He did an audit and determined all the lights were working properly.

A couple of hours later, it was all decorated.  I'm not much of a tinsel person.  I like handmade ornaments the most.

It looked pretty with the room lights off, too.  Here you can also see a festive wall decoration from Marc's childhood on the rear wall.

We listened to a CD of Harry Connick Jr., and then a vinyl LP of Bing Crosby, both singing holiday tunes.  It was definitely festive.  It's nice to celebrate the winter holidays even though we are not at all religious. 

Wood
Several of the ornaments that I put on the Yule tree yesterday are made from wood.  Most of the ornaments on the tree have a story or a history to me.

This lovely wood heart ornament came from Winston-Salem in North Carolina.  It was purchased on my last vacation, which I looked up today, and realized was in 2008.  That means it will be 10 years since I have been on a vacation, with the exception of a few long weekends or our short honeymoon, which was 3 nights in Quebec City. Oh, and one night away this year on PEI.  I think I am in need of a real vacation soon.


There are two wooden bear ornaments on the tree.  Marc is especially fond of bears.




This ornament is actually made from wood shavings.  I am sure it is from Europe but I don't remember where - my parents bought these long ago and I have this one from their collection.

This little camel ornament is actually made from olive wood, and I think it might have come from Bethlehem from somebody who visited there.  I'm very fond of camelids, so it's nice to have this one on the tree.

I'm hoping to do a few more blog posts about other ornaments on the tree in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!


4 comments:

Ralph said...

Ivy and Violet are adorable, although our kitty Linus McDonald would not make great playmate for either :(

Your tree is lovely, the lighting very nice and Pippin's approval is appreciated :) The wood ornaments are good looking.

We will be getting our small artificial tree setup soon. I love the season but am no fan of green needles all over the carpet...

Michelle said...

Your family keeps growing, and seems to be a peaceable kingdom; so nice!

Tom said...

...rats wouldn't be welcomes in this house! Our tree is decorated as yours is with a collection of memories!

Jim said...

Hi Claire -- We have wild rats, rabbits, and alligators here. They are all "protected species". The rats are cute but probably one would give me the Willies. Our tree is also an artificial tree. We had a tall one, ten feet I think, maybe taller. But we got too old to be messing around on ladders that much so we gave it to our daughter. It's replacement was a seven foot tree. This year we had lost the base but were able to get a new one at Hobby Lobby. Mrs. Jim decorates it, I help here and there when she wants me to.
..