Re- Fresh

 So, last Christmas I purchased a lot of the 'Fraiche' (pronunciation- 'fresh') line of Christmas ornamentation for decorating. I bought a fake Christmas tree. I purchased the metal 'Merry Christmas.' I can't remember how many garlands I bought. I bought a beautiful gold resin tree. Gold bells... 9 gold metal dinner bells... many other gold metal matte bells as well... the lovely stringer of bells that I decorated my bathroom with... I really love that line of decorations. 

I also purchased a cedar tree, which is on the fake fireplace mantel, from a local florist who retired right after that. I also purchased a tiny little blue glass purse, as an ornament for my Christmas tree. I really tried to buy a metal basket- weave garden table, from her, but I couldn't quite convince her to sell her fathers' work to me. Her father was still alive, at that time, and he had created amazing iron works in his youth. He may have, even, made the fencing at the B&B... possibly the most romantic fences in that town.

The Fraiche tea towels were such a favourite of mine. I still have maybe four or more in the linen closet at the house. They may still have the packaging on them. They're ecru and have a stitched bow, in monochromatic thread, on them, as well as a ruffle. I won't have to re- buy those for years.

My red and white square box of glass Christmas ornaments is a collection I have been working on for 40 years... often just one or two per year.

There was one Christmas idea that Warren borrowed from me.

I had purchased two very large, I will call them garland hooks, when I owned my 29 year house. They were a 'strong enough' method to hold garland, Christmas lights, and some ornaments. The beauty of a long- time ownership of a house is that you can do these things without making phone calls to anyone because ownership surpasses rentals. I think I purchased the ones I had in my 29 year house from a business that still exists in Bird's Hill but also used to have a location on Academy Road. I think I left those in my house when I had to sell it because they do require a bit of installing for weight. I may still have a photo of my ornamental hooks on my external hard drive in my armoire out of town. My birth certificate is also in there... one of those updates we have to re-fresh when we are of the generation that still had typewritten birth certificates. This is a method I use for remembering where I put things. Put these important documents with this so you remember that... I'm sure many people have interesting methods for where to put important things.

Like most people, Christmas is often about vintage, a memory collection of ornaments... and, last Christmas I really decided to re- fraiche (re- fresh), and I'll use the whole collection I purchased last year, this year again.

Just like my vintage La Canadienne boots that I wear to Handels' Messiah or Christmas Eve service... my little black boots with the silver buckle, over 20 years old now, can still be purchased as booties. 

That's how... Everything old becomes new again.