Playing catch up with the Journal

I have been trying to catch up with my Christmas Journal, and have managed another couple of pages. I am still so far behind though - so I have decided to do a page as it strikes me and hopefully I will get caught up better that way.Anyway here is day 8 and day 11. I have written about the changes I see around as my island gets ready for the festive season on day 8 which fits in with the prompt, and as my item for the challenge - which was to use something small - I have used charms.
The Christmas tree pages were complete all but for a photo of this year's tree but I didn't want to upload til it was added.
The journalling is as follows -
The island is getting ready for Christmas. We have the trees up in school, both indoors and out. Outside the tree is shimmering with white lights, whilst in the hall, the foyer and in the library corridor they are all decorated with multi coloured lights this year. Christmas has started—though you wouldn’t think so from the weather—it has rained incessantly for days!

The Christmas Tree has appeared in the square in Castletown, and the lamp posts are all adorned with festive decorations: reindeer, candles, snowflakes, angels and Santa; whilst there are fairy lights strung across the street, all awaiting “the big switch on” of the Christmas lights next Saturday.

Every village has at least one special house that is dressed for Christmas with Santa’s or snowmen figures in the gardens, each one festooned in lights in a huge variety of ways, in the windows, in the trees, along the roof, round the door and even round the lychgate. There are some large houses here on the island! They light the gloom of the journey home with such a burst of colour as I pass that I am beginning to feel festive just looking at them!

Even the houses that don’t have outside lights have Christmas Trees in the windows, or visible through the window and I can see the lights and decorations as I travel home each evening after work. I can’t wait to get our tree and put up my own decorations, and the outside lights—which we have only had since last year—this will be their second outing!!

Loving all the signs of the season appearing around me—everywhere I look and the sounds of Christmas Carols in the hall as the children practise for the big Christmas Concert!!

Thanks for looking.