December guests of Neita’s Nest bed and breakfast in Kingston brought special joy in our home and left with joy in their hearts after a wonderful exchange of Christmas tree ornaments.
|  A tradition begins. |
Our own offering included the sweetest handmade Jamaican angels all dressed up in our National Costume of Indian Bandana plaid and white cotton lace. ‘Out of Many, One People’ we are! And we must thank and congratulate our neighbour Yvette whose endless creativity churns out new designs each year. Craft Cottage also sourced delightful rasta angels and bejeweled shells, much to the delight of our guests.
This tradition of exchange began only this past December and has resulted in an eclectic array of ornaments from around the world, each with its own story. Here is one. Greg’s late dad worked at Tom Smith Ltd., a London factory which made Christmas tree ornaments back in the 1970’s. He found some while clearing his dad’s attic recently and gave us a couple of the sweetest and most delicate, vintage items you could imagine.
With her own hands, Martine from Limoges made a red felt elf shoe, a perfect fit for any elf who might have tip-toed under our tree. With those same hands, this daughter of a French Chocolatier also gifted us with a box of the most delicious, surprise-filled, premium dark chocolates your palates could imagine! Had Christian not told us that they were of her own making, we would have missed out on the most important part of the savouring. Cela était bon!
Then, there were a pair of Croatian dolls in their national costume, and hand-painted hearts marked Zagreb to remind us of Kolja and Petra who visited with us from the coastal town of Split in that same country.
Vinod and Sheila from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia brought practical pieces with intricate batik print and hand-carved wood to last long after the holidays are over.
From the Kennedy Centre, Jean brought us a lovely metallic memento which invites you to tour D.C. with her. And there were bells and balls from the Janzen family in Abbotsford near Vancouver. From Samantha, our Jamaican friend in Fort Lauderdale, a playful pirate reminding us of a history shared by all countries with Caribbean shores.
And so it was. History was made at Neita’s Nest over this past Christmas season. Here we are building lasting memories based on a tradition started over two centuries ago when some wise men found their way to a humble place in Bethlehem. Forgive the analogy, but I am at once excited and humbled by the fact that persons, from all over this globe, make a mecca of Jamaica and find their way to Neita’s Nest bed and breakfast.
!Increible!
This tradition of exchange began only this past December and has resulted in an eclectic array of ornaments from around the world, each with its own story. Here is one. Greg’s late dad worked at Tom Smith Ltd., a London factory which made Christmas tree ornaments back in the 1970’s. He found some while clearing his dad’s attic recently and gave us a couple of the sweetest and most delicate, vintage items you could imagine.
With her own hands, Martine from Limoges made a red felt elf shoe, a perfect fit for any elf who might have tip-toed under our tree. With those same hands, this daughter of a French Chocolatier also gifted us with a box of the most delicious, surprise-filled, premium dark chocolates your palates could imagine! Had Christian not told us that they were of her own making, we would have missed out on the most important part of the savouring. Cela était bon!
Then, there were a pair of Croatian dolls in their national costume, and hand-painted hearts marked Zagreb to remind us of Kolja and Petra who visited with us from the coastal town of Split in that same country.
Vinod and Sheila from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia brought practical pieces with intricate batik print and hand-carved wood to last long after the holidays are over.
From the Kennedy Centre, Jean brought us a lovely metallic memento which invites you to tour D.C. with her. And there were bells and balls from the Janzen family in Abbotsford near Vancouver. From Samantha, our Jamaican friend in Fort Lauderdale, a playful pirate reminding us of a history shared by all countries with Caribbean shores.
And so it was. History was made at Neita’s Nest over this past Christmas season. Here we are building lasting memories based on a tradition started over two centuries ago when some wise men found their way to a humble place in Bethlehem. Forgive the analogy, but I am at once excited and humbled by the fact that persons, from all over this globe, make a mecca of Jamaica and find their way to Neita’s Nest bed and breakfast.
!Increible!
