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Every year, when we decorate our Christmas tree, I wish for a tree with the decorations distributed absolutely evenly, alternating all the way round. I imagine a tree where everything matches everything else and there is perhaps even a theme. My reality is a tree adorned with a mish mash of ornaments, some handmade recently, some from my childhood and many from school and kinder. The cat is obsessed with the tree so every few days, after beating him off it numerous times, I have to strain under the couches looking for where all the decorations have gone.

Whilst not very photoworthy, it is our tree and I still get a thrill turning on the lights each night, like a child again. I'm not even sure we had lights when I was young, I must ask my parents.

So again this year I will set aside my House and Garden tree aspirations but have succeeded on another front - the co-ordination of my present wrapping. I love how they look and really get excited about everything looking exactly the same - why is that I wonder?

I also have a small collection of santas I've bought at various times. This guy is my favourite. He's Norwegian, bought when we were in Oslo many years ago now, well at least 8 ago. The girls and Geoff both think he's a bit, well, ugly, whereas I find him utterly charming.