Good to hear about your special Christmas season with your mother and family, @stargazer, but sorry to hear of the very turbulent time getting back home. Glad you're safely there now.

Well, we had an unexpected turn to our Christmas. Having anticipated all the kids, my dad, and my sister gathering together at our home after not being able to last year due to restrictions, we had postpone again due to the pandemic (quickly escalating new daily numbers). This was two days before the 25th and one day before our kids were to arrive for four-five days. Obviously a disappointment to all, but we were all on the same page, and met regularly over the holidays on video chat to talk, play games, at least see each other, albeit online. Certainly better than nothing!

So, our Christmas decorations remain up who knows for how long. They have been up since late November 2020, in anticipation of our long-awaited family gathering. More restrictions just came down in Ontario for the pandemic, hence our Christmas together will not be for awhile yet. But we keep on keeping on, and eagerly anticipate when that can happen.  

Our live tree will remain up until it dries out, then we will cut it up and burn it in the campfire in a few months. It remains so pretty with its fresh fir scent and twinkling coloured mini lights (loads of them ). We cut it down on December 5 and it's still drinking water, 'though not as much as the first couple of weeks. There is no sign of it fading yet, hurrah!  

Sorry to hear about another delay in your Christmas gathering, @jo, but I'm glad you did get to get together virtually.

(An omicron outbreak in the staff at my mother's nursing home has just caused it to lock down, so I am especially grateful for the times to visit that we had, and spending Christmas with family).

My pine tree didn't make it to 6th January, as it smelt too stale! Off came the decorations, and out went the tree. 

I'm still looking at the decorations but they have not obliged me by climbing back into their box, so that's today's first job!  

Edit: all packed up!

Well, we finally celebrated our Christmas this past weekend—or part of it.   a wonderful time all together. All the kids were coming home, so at the last minute, we decided to do stockings and presents. However, big Mr. Turkey is still in the deep freezer to be consumed another time (hopefully before Christmas '22!). And we did not have our carol sing this time, as too much else was going on. Next visit, though, yes! I still had all the Christmas decorations up from when I pulled them out in November, 2020, but of course our live tree did not last until now (we took it down in early February, as, 'though still very pretty, it was really starting to shed its needles). We therefore hauled our cute, chubby artificial tree up from downstairs, loaded it with mini lights and red bows, and are still enjoying it.   This week I have finally packed away all Christmas decorations (except for the tree)—after sixteen months of them being up!  

We are expecting a fair bit of snow over the next couple of days, so the shining tree will complement the weather big-time.  

@jo so, hope you had a Merry Christmas finally! Lovely to have your family together. *hug*

🤗🤗🤗