It's almost time to put the Christmas decorations away - Where does the time go? When we were children, the tree, purchased at a reduced price on Christmas Eve, was put up on that evening, and taken down on New Year's Day. after being carefully stripped of the tinsel, which was laid in a box for next year, as well as any ornaments and the lights. Today, we live with the decorations longer, and enjoy the memories that seeing them each year engenders. The picture above is a wooden decoration painted by daughter Julia in her folk-painting days. It hangs protected on our covered porch each December - and sometimes into January to welcome all visitors to our home.
This little tree was purchased a long time ago, and is decorated with miniature ornaments, many acquired during my two years in Germany.
This little Santa clasps his hands together and hangs on to the lamp in the living room each holiday. He is a memory of dear friend Phyllis Hansen. Behind him hang two wood-turned mushroom birdhouses that Ron made a few years ago.
This picture is a little hard to see - it is my Petersen mouse nativity scene. My collectibles in this line are each significant to us - I could collect forever, but manage to put a stopper on when I realize that there isn't enough room in the little glass case for more of these wonderfully crafted figures.
This nativity scene is at least 30 years old. It was used to tell the Christmas story a few times when we had little grandchildren around on Christmas Eve. I know it's old, because it's marked "Made in Taiwan".
Two of these are Christmas decorations - the standing Nativity cut out of a piece of olive wood, which was a gift this Christmas from our friends, the Silvernagels, and a small silhouette of the Nativity scene which we bought in Bethlehem 21 years ago. The figurine of Christ and his lamb was a gift from our friends, the Garners, when they moved from Preston to Mesa permanently this fall.
The three-figure Nativity was made in Relief Society in Tumwater - long time ago.
I found this little Nativity set in Olympia at a little specialty shop on Grand - I got it for almost nothing because the shepherds had been lost. Perhaps they had already come and gone by the time the wise men got there? (True story)
This silver-plated and now oxidized Nativity set was purchased at a jewelry store in Jerusalem. Ron didn't tell me until later that I paid too much for it, because it is just pot metal which is plated. I still like it.
And, the is our partial collection of our Santa Claus figures. On the left is one that I purchased at a craft fair in Olympia. The next one is a paper ache Santa that Ron had a long time ago. The little Santa in the air was a gift, and the one on the right was a hand-carved Santa made in Arizona by Mr. Nelson, who used to refinish furniture in Olympia.
More tomorrow.
