Tuesday 18 December 2012

Christmas Train and # 5 of Decorating Delights


Cousin Rita came to stay for a few nights on her way to see an ailing brother, Layton, in a village an hour's drive from here.  It was sure good to connect with her again.  We hadn't seen here since the big Easter dinner she made for us in the Spring.  She toured the town and checked out some family history but fell asleep last night before the Christmas train showed up. 

It travels the province every year to raise funds for food banks.  Why do we still have food banks?  I have no trouble donating to them and know they are needed, but they were started as an emergency measure, that never seems to stop. 

The train stops and entertainers turn up the volume and sing for the families who have come to see the travelling lights.  They arrived in Ashcroft at about 8:30.  We could hear the loud rock version of 'Away in a Manger'  a block away, inside our suite.  With the dusting of snow and ice I didn't want to chance going out on crutches to get closer to the action.  Cousin Rita had already gone to bed and didn't even hear the train's longer toots that heralded its arrival.   Donations go to the food banks.  This is volunteer work but it also delights the local children.  Everyone loves bright lights in the dark depths of December.


This tree voting is beginning to feel like a contest, and I may have to choose two that get the most votes to pick a top winner, but that wasn't the idea to start with.  I was just fascinated with the creativity of folk concerning how to decorate a Christmas tree. Here are the three tree decorating choices for today. 


#1 is glittery golds where I do like the big bow on top for a change from the traditional angel.

#2 is a Martha Stewart whites and grays, where I like the idea of tidy basins for individual piles of presents.  It wouldn't work in our house as part of the fun is having the youngest child scramble around under the tree to retrieve presents for ?  and ?  and ?


#3 is a cupcake tree.

Which one do YOU like the best?  Maybe I will make it into a contest and the winner will get a cheque in the mail to donate to their local food bank.   Everybody likes to win things.  So just keep voting.

5 comments:

  1. I vote #3 this is original and who can resist a cupcake? not me...lol

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  2. Well, I'm not a Martha Stewart fan, but I do like the look of her tree. The cupcake tree wouldn't last long at our house, so I'll keep my vote at #2. I would just like to see a final day with the top three trees!! This is fun, Karyn!

    Nice that you could spend time with Cousin Rita!! The train is a great idea, and a nice way to raise money for the food banks.

    Wishing you a good Tuesday!

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    1. It was a good Tuesday as I threw away one crutch. See my blog for today.

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  3. We always put Christmassy bags under the tree, one for each grandchild, full of gifts - some bigger, some tiny. They just like unwrapping!

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  4. I rather like No. 3 but how long would it last ?

    In the UK there are some charities that provide food for families that need it. The items they pass on are often from supermarkets that would otherwise be getting rid of it.

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