Today I pulled the Christmas decorations out of the crawl space.
Alex groaned. He usually does that, because it means bringing boxes up and down the steps for me. (I’m afraid to count how many boxes there are.)
Beginning the mantel display.
I actually think he just does that to tease me. He will always do it when I ask, he just groans first. Chris would do the same thing. It’s like a tradition or something around here.
I’m having to readjust where I’m putting some things because of (cough) mischievousness cats, but I did manage to get through at least seven or eight boxes. There are more pieces that I probably won’t be putting out, and I’ve yet to put out the North Pole Series, however, here are the twinkling lights at night. They just make me smile. I can’t help it.
Snow Village – right corner of manThe church was my first Snow Village piece!I like to think of this as Grandmom’s house!Hunting & Fishing lodge
With Christmas coming up the past few days has got me to thinking of how not only do seasons change but so do our lives.When we were young parents Christmas was so important to me because I wanted my kids to have a good holiday.I know that sounds bad but there is a reason.
My Dad was killed when I was eight years old.He was in a car accident on September 8th,my sister Linette’s birthday.We were sitting at the table getting ready to eat birthday cake when a police officer came knocking on our door.I can’t remember how the whole thing went down but I know they took my mom to my Uncle Ralph and Aunt Charlene’s that lived around the corner because we didn’t have a car for Mom to get to the hospital.We were farmed out to family as my Mom stayed at the hospital with Daddy.He died…
Around 28 years ago I was introduced into a world that I had not really seen before.
Craig fondly refers to it as “a big mistake”. He’s just kidding. I think.
After our Thanksgiving meal we would go and visit the The Christmas Barn.
My first trip there can only be described as a kid in a candy store. I did not know where to look first.
There was one long room with rows of trees decorated in various themes, with the corresponding baskets of available decorations for purchase. Different types and colors of lights were displayed to choose from, along with multiple tree toppers, garlands and other tree delicacies.
The pic-DE-la-restance was when I wandered into the room that held a tree elevated on a table with a miniature village snuggled under the branches, while a miniature train moved back and forth along a track. Little lights peeked out from tiny windows. Trees glistened with what only could be described as a magical snow, and a church with a stained glass window was perched on a hill while a farm nestled in a valley below.
I.was.hooked.
Department 56 Christmas Train Layout (Photo credit: contemplative imaging)
I believe that year for Christmas Craig gave me my first Department 56 piece, the sleigh and reindeer.
For awhile I collected other less expensive village pieces, but they were never quite the same, in size or quality. I would think about the ‘real village’ I first saw. We moved to SC and found a shop that was opened for a while that had a full display of the Snow Village Department 56 series I had first grown in love with along with, wait for it…….other village series! Oh boy, oh boy! (Did I just hear a groan?)
So, for quite a few years when the kids were younger we would go to Peddlers Porch before Christmas, I’d wander around the store and show Craig and the boys the different Snow Village pieces I liked and then they would surprise me for Christmas and/or my birthday (yeah, my birthday is right before Christmas) out of the things I liked. Usually, I would visit the shop before hand so I had a pretty good idea what I liked, however, they were still quite patient with me while I looked, because I still had to give it another quick check….just in case. It was always still a surprise seeing which they selected.
While Craig finalized ‘the purchase’, the boys and I would select an Old World Ornament together for the tree. (I know what you’re thinking, another collection, and yes, you are correct) I miss doing that with them.
When I started collecting the North Pole series, Tyna, Rick and the kids selected pieces for that, along with Craig’s Mom. At Christmas I’d open packages from PA and I could imagine them picking out the respective pieces out of the display available. I hope they received as much joy selecting them as I did receiving them.
Over the years my collection has grown to the point that there isn’t any more room on the mantle or the side tables.
I stopped collecting soon after the shop closed. That has been quite a few years ago.
I don’t know if Craig was glad or not when the shop closed. I mean I certainly don’t need anymore pieces, but it did make shopping easier for them. 🙂
I’ll soon be getting out all those boxes. I know that they are ‘just things’. I know that they are not necessary, however, when I look at them I remember the love that came with each piece. If it was a gift, I remember who gave it to me. If it was one picked out, there was usually a reason why, and I remember.
When they are all up and the lights are twinkling, I remember all those memories….and I see that tree again.
I catch Craig checking out the houses when they are all up. He will even prompt me when I am late getting around to it, “Aren’t you going to put your houses?” he will ask.
I think he has his memories too. Some “mistakes” have a way of warming the heart. 🙂
OURs… to fight for Freedom from Want is a color lithograph created in 1942 by Norman Rockwell and published in the Saturday Evening Post as part of a series illustrating the “Four Freedoms.” The aim of the series was to promote the buying of war bonds by Americans during World War II. Copyright held by the Curtis Publishing Company. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I remember the first time I cooked what I’d like to refer to as my Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving Dinner. Remember, being raised as JW, we didn’t celebrate Holidays, so it wasn’t until I left home that I began to enjoy these celebrations. Now, I had been at other homes for Thanksgiving, but this was the first time I had prepared ‘The Spread’.
Looking back I now am realizing Mom made up her own version of celebrations so she could continue to celebrate the Holidays. Case in point, when she made a turkey feast, she made stuffing, a green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and a spinach casserole. (Sounds like a Thanksgiving meal to me).
The first time I made her spinach casserole was on that day. (The fact that both Craig and Chris grew fond of this is a special connection to my Mom for me.) It was also the first time I had made a turkey (yikes!) I remember getting out the linen tablecloth, crystal glasses, silver, decorations, and even had parsley decorating the turkey on the plate ready for Craig to carve. If I’m remembering right Craig’s Mom brought her potato filling, and we had a stuffed sideboard and table full of food. There were at least 7 of us. I thought I had a picture somewhere from that day of the table and the turkey, but a quick search couldn’t find it. (Note to self: you really need to get back on that picture organizing project!)
I also think it was the first big meal I made for Craig’s family. Good thing it worked out. 🙂 I’ve made many Thanksgiving meals since then, and had a lot of good meals at friends and family homes too; but everyonce in a while I think about that first one for me.
Just As I Am 