Christmas Decorations Bring Christmas Memories

In 19978, I did a table at a Christmas craft botique in Powell, and one of the items that sold well were these little Santas (or Santa's elves, whichever you like.)  These are the only four I have left, but they come out every year to keep the winter teddy bear company as she sits in her miniature wood-turned chair.

 The lighted glass block with the silhouette of the Three Wise Men was made by Brittany many years ago when the family lived in Lewisville.  It comes out every year and reminds us of her.  The bowl full of glass balls reminds us of a patient of Ron's in Tumwater, who was a glass blower.  He invited us to his house - he had a glory hole in his garage, and we learned how to make glass balls.  Ours were pretty small, but we purchased some of the other beautiful things that he had.  Nice Memories.

And, last of all for today's memories, are the scroll-saw Christmas cut-outs that Dad made when he had his shop on 93rd south of Tumwater.  They go up every year in the sidelights in the front door.  Without memories, these Christmas decorations are special, but the memories make for a nice remembrance of past Christmases.

Christmas Traditions - Santa Clauses

This is part of my Santa Claus collection.  History behind these is:  Top picture - Blue coated Santa and Red Santa were made by me when we lived in Tumwater.  The paper mache old-fashioned Santa is one that Ron had when we were married - it's very old, and a little of the paint is chipping off, but definitely a keeper.  The "Alaska" Santa with the fur I found in a craft bazaar in Tumwater in the mid-80's.  In the bottom picture, the first Santa on the left was whittled out by a man from Olympia by the last name of Nelson (he was a furniture re-finisher whom Ron knew). He had retired to Arizona for the winters, and we went to a wood whittler's exhibit where he was demonstrating, and we bought this Santa form him.  The next two (one is a little hidden) are painted by Julia.  The trees were a gift form a neighbor, and the last is a Santa hanging on a stand.  There are more Santas around the house, but these I grouped together.
One of the nice things about Christmas is getting out old Christmas memorabilia, because the memories associated with them are very precious.

Last of the Christmas Decorations - Time to Put Them Away

 Time to dismantle the tree - Some of the ornaments, including the German candle holders and candles, and the girl on a star swing singing "Silent Night" (music printed on the little book she holds) are 38 years old - or so.

 Another view of the Nativity.

 We have loved this little figurine who reminds us of a little cockapoo who lived with us for years.

 The Christmas rabbit on the first step was made by a friend in Tumwater, Jody Bromley, who charmed Tony's recalcitrant Sunday School class.  The other two elves came to us via the Christmas boutiques that I used to visit.  Last year, our neighbor children were amazed that we needed an "elf on the shelf" to watch and see if we were being good - the first we knew of this new Christmas lore.

 Granddaughter Brittany made this Christmas decoration for us a long time ago.  We always think of her and wish her well in her challenging life today.

 Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without real evergreens, and two daughters, living a continent apart, gifted us with these two adding to the beauty of the season.  Beautiful roses, and fragrant evergreens!

 And, my Boyd's bear  Mama Bear in her glamorous fir coat and purse, sits on the woodturner chair, keeping watch over Santa's elves below - a remnant of the elves I used to make for a craft show in Powell, long before I met Ron.  Christmas decorations are full of memories, and it's a good idea that we tuck them away at the end of the season, so that those memories are sharper than they would be if we became so familiar with these objects that we forgot to really "see" them.  So  today, all I can say is "Happy New Year of 2015 - May it be a Very Good Year".

Christmas Decorations Revisited for 2014

 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.

The Poinsettia in the Window

More than a few years ago, when we wintered in Mesa, we had some friends who made stained glass pieces.  We got this one from them.  The top view is the way it usually looks in the window, but the bottom view had the wonderful glowing reflection - The sun was shining just right, and even though the windows were not clear because of rain, the reflective glow is remarkable.  Merry Christmas!

More of Our Christmas Decor

 These are special Christmas balls.  In Washington, Ron had a patient who was a glass blower, and had a glory hole in his garage.  We spent a Saturday there - Daddy didn't want to go, but we took Elna, and she made a ball.  Ron's and my balls are small - We didn't have the technique quite right, but it was a lot of fun and very exciting.  We took more glass balls home than we made.

 These little "Santa's Dwarfs" have traveled with us.  I first made these guys for a craft fair that we did in Powell - sold lots of them.  These have endured over the years - always looking patient.

 Ron had this paper mache Santa when we married - he seems to be very old.  He has to come out each Christmas.

 The little Santa clinging to the lamp base was a gift from Phyllis Hansen, a dear friend, who left us quite some years ago.  The carved Santa in front was made by a Mr. Nelson, a furniture re-finisher in Olympia, who retired and went to Arizona and picked up wood carving.  The Santa with the tree was painted by Julia in the days when we were doing lots of painting projects.  And, if you enlarge the picture, you can see my collection of Petersen mice in the display case.  Nativity scene on top, Ron's shelf is next, and mine on the bottom.

 Sorry this picture is so dim - These are a few of my nativity sets.  The center figures are corn husk dolls of Mary, Joseph and the baby, the set to the left that you can barely see is  one that I purchased in Jerusalem after I realized that we just couldn't afford the olive wood carved sets in Bethlehem, and the little white set minus shepherds, I bought in Olympia at a clearance sale.  The light is coming in from the windows, so the reflection on the table makes an interesting effect.

 At least you get the drift of the tree - never did get the angel at the top of the tree this year.

 I'm including this picture because the ghost hands at the far edge are mine - so much for taking pictures in front of a reflective window.  This stained glass poinsettia was made by a couple of friends in Mesa during the years we wintered there.

Remembrances of Christmas

Steve designed this cocky fellow - Dad cut them out, and I painted them, and we sold quite a few in Tumwater at our Christmas boutique in the early '90s. There were a few other designs, but this is the only finished one I have left. Thank you, Steve, for your creative mind. This Christmas piece was done by Steve and Mary Lynn some years ago - he cut out the little copper (?) bear at the top, Mary Lynn made the stars and stuffed them with something very aromatic. After all these years, a squeeze on a star will give forth a pleasing smell. Dad made lots of this manger piece and other similar silhouettes pertaining to Christmas - I have strings of them that I hang every Christmas on the side lights of the front door. However, this little metal one is on the wall all the time. Another Steve creation. As you can see, I made this small counted cross stitch Scandinavian bell pull in '83. It is always magic to create something and see it take place before your eyes.

It's about time to begin storing away the Christmas memories until next year; each one is special and brings back memories of another time and place.