Sunday 3 November 2013

Storytelling Sunday Three: Pick Your Precious

Storytelling Sunday Three? There is no excuse for not joining in with this one! Everyone can do it. Pick Your Precious is about celebrating the little things you love: those souvenirs, bits and pieces, things from your past you can't bear to throw out. You know, the special little something you have tucked away in a drawer or up on a shelf? Or the thing you love most in a room? Or the object you would save if you knew you had to leave the country? Your favourite things.

Ready to begin?

The Ballet Dancer

As we creep ever closer to the end of the storytelling year, it's good to look back on the - records, maybe we could call them? we've been making all year: records of things we have loved over many years, things others have loved and passed on to us so that we can hold them as precious too. Last month Jo posted about a little glass bottle she had found in a charity shop; and that was something new she thought she would like to hold on to. I liked that idea. Many of the things I have chosen have come from way back in my past: today I have a photo of something new


She's a little ballerina Christmas tree decoration we brought back from our trip to the ballet in St. Petersburg this summer.

We had um-med and ah-hed over that trip. It cost more than we wanted to spend, it lasted long into the night when we had to get up early the next morning, there was a dress code to decipher: the girls were keen and the boys, in the end, had to admit that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. So we signed up for an excursion to see Swan Lake, on a warm Summer's evening, at an old theatre, in Russia.

It was a tourist version, the online reviews said, fast ballet on a not-so-fancy stage. But as the coach spred us through the streets I had spent years dreaming of seeing, the tour guide reassured us: We do happy endings in St.Petersburg, she said. The story would end well.

And it did. It was magical. Our story of that night will probably keep for another time. Today I'm Picking my Precious; and she is our ballet dancer, dressed in the deep blue of the night's costumes, and ready for our Christmas tree for the first time this December. Happy Endings? I'm hoping her story has just begun.

If you have a story, we'd love to hear it! I'm hoping for a Happy Ending of another kind round here as Storytelling Sunday finishes up its three year (three years!) run at the end of December. Let's send it off in grand style, with your pick of your Precious this month and then we'll have a grand Christmas finale next. That's two chances left to spin your story, tell us your tale...what are you waiting for?


Write your post, introduce it as a Storytelling Sunday story and then come back and link us up. You won't regret it! Everyone meets someone new on Storytelling day. You have a full week to add your story, and the rest of the month to come back and read your choice of the others. No big rush! Have a think, take your time. And then? Sit back and enjoy the rest.



27 comments:

Amy said...

Hi Sian :) She is a fabulous momento and will help elicit stories from your family of summer 2013 for years to come!

Jennifer Shaw said...

Such a beautiful ornament. It will look wonderful on your Christmas tree! I saw a ballet once on a college field trip and it was amazing. I have never been again but think that one day I might like to. I won't like the dressing up part though. ;)

alexa said...

Isn't she beautiful? So elegant and vibrant ...and I can see she holds the memories of other stories too. Glad the much-weighed decision was the right one for you all, and a lovely post.

debs14 said...

What a lovely momento of a happy holiday. I can tell she is going to be gracing the family Christmas tree for many years to come.

Anonymous said...

She is beautiful and so elegant. We try to buy one or two new decorations each Christmas and will be on the look out for a ballerina now.

Ladkyis said...

That is such a lovely precious, just perfect. Thank you for sharing

Sheena said...

What a wonderful new precious x
We try & pick up Christmas decorations from every trip we make & as we dress our trip the memories come flooding back :)

Karen said...

Many of our Christmas tree ornaments have been purchased on trips, and each time we hang them so many memories return. I haven't been to the ballet in years, but I do love it. It must have been magical to see it in St. Petersburg.

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

What a lovely ornament! I try to collect ornaments of special things too. They are going to be my precious next month

Kirsty.A said...

Ooh what an experience. She's lovely

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

What a wonderful experience and one the girls in this house would have been very keen to share. The boys? Not so much!

Becky said...

A beautiful ornament. We always try to buy one when we are abroad for our tree as a special memory.

This West London Life said...

I hope she has as many Christmases on your tree as ours has had. She's quite lovely.

Melissa said...

She's a beautiful memento of your trip! We collect Christmas ornaments on our travels & special outings, so each year is a trip own memory lane when we decorate (& undecorate) the tree - maybe I'll share about one of our ornaments next month!

Jo said...

She really is beautiful and what fantastic memories she will hold for you for many years to come :)

Missus Wookie said...

What a beautiful lady she is - glad to hear there was a happy ending, I do like them. Experiences and once in a lifetime things are always precious.

Jane said...

gorgeous and it must have been a magical event.

scrappyjacky said...

A really precious memory....and such a gorgeous ballerina.

Sinead said...

This is just beautiful Sian, I love the ballet dancer and the story behind her :D The idea of picking something that is new is wonderful. I hope she will become a new family heirloom! x

Barbara Eads said...

Souvenirs from special moments on trips are the best!! What a wonderful reminder of your excursion to the ballet. Each year when you put up your Christmas tree, you will be transported back to that time. We started collecting ornaments while on our trips years ago. It is so much fun at Christmas to unwrap each one and remember when.

Lisa-Jane said...

What a beauty! She will be perfect on your tree and such wonderful memories too. I'm glad my penguin saga gave you a smile! xx

Cheri said...

Of course new things can be just as precious and meaningful as old things - and there are definitely a lot of memories attached to that beautiful ballerina!

Sandie said...

How lovely to bring her out each year and to remember that wonderful holiday. That is precious. As always, beautifully told :) x

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

Oh she is SO pretty! Carrie and I each bought Christmas ornaments in England this year when we traveled there. I look forward to having it on my tree in years to come and remembering the wonderful trip we shared.

Sandra said...

As soon as the window opened in Feedly on this beauty I was hooked. She'll make you smile each time you look at her on your tree

Julie Kirk said...

It sounds like a wonderful experience and she really is a treasure. I'm not sure I'd be able to admire her only at Christmas though!

I thought I'd join in with a story this time as you work up toward your grand finale! x

Lou said...

its lovely to have a keepsake and such a beautiful one too...a lovely story Sian.

I am so sorry not to have joined in this month xx

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