Another Christmas

Yes, it is Christmas again

and we miss those who are not nearby

and we love to see those who are.

Why don’t you take a little tour of our home this Christmastime.

We hope you feel like you are here.

Let’s start with a cozy, warm home.

This is where Grandpa and I often sit to read our books.

We have seen you snuggle up in the same places many times. 

Each year I fill this metal tray with Christmas things

which little hands can discover, handle and re-arrange.

Do you remember? 

Little deer. Bottle-brush trees, Large acorns, candles. Little wreaths. 

Yes. The Playroom.

This is how it looks this Christmas.

The tree is one of my favorite things. We call it our “Charlie Brown” tree

because it is so small and simply decorated.

I covered it with tiny lights of red and white

and hung tiny ornaments on it

including five wonderful mushrooms which I bought early in the season. 

Do you see the little Nativity Set on the table?

If you were here, you could play with it.

I love to re-arrange it, too.

The carolers are singing on top of the piano once again.

Can you hear them?

The rest of the playroom looks the same way it did

when you last saw it.

It is full of the sorts of things that Santa might have left for children

on Christmas Eve many years ago.

I am still collecting.

In Handel’s Messiah, Jesus Christ is called King of Kings

and Prince of Peace.

I have a collection of crowns which I love to put together

in remembrance of Christ’s divinity.

They would not fit very well on your heads

but they are beautiful and sparkly

and you could handle them if you were here.

This year the village of little houses is on the bookcases.

If you were here you could look at your eye level at everything

and touch each one.

The tall birdhouse with the Christmas wreath is new.

I found it at the thrift store.

You know that I love to find treasures at the thrift store.

This is our front porch. You remember, don’t you ?

I found a beautiful iron planter basket at the thrift store

which Grandpa attached to the railing.

It is full of pine boughs and berries and little lights.

Maybe when you come again it will be filled with live flowers.

Would that be nice ?

Here is the iron flower basket from another angle.

I thought you might like this angle

because you can see the rain on the street

and the Christmas lights around us.

It has been raining here but snowing in the mountains. 

Here is the mantle this Christmas.

Grandpa made the chalkboard for me

out of a wonderful frame from the thrift store.

I found the decal about being joyful

while shopping one day.

You might notice the joyful angel with the trumpet in her hand.

This style of angel is called “folk art”.

Every Christmas Grandpa and I visit Cook’s Greenhouse.

It is wonderful year round

but especially in the winter when it is cold outside.

That is where we bought this fragrant rosemary.

Do you remember that if you run your hands over the leaves,

they smell pungent? 

That means that they smell strong.

I have one, last thing to show you.

It is a smallish rocking chair from the thrift store.

It is just the right size for a small child.

Grandpa is going to re-finish it for me

but I thought two of my favorite Christmas treasures

might enjoy sitting on it before he did.

I can even sit on it and gently rock myself to sleep, if you believe that !

OH ! I can’t forget one of Grandpa’s most wonderful winter paintings.

It is hanging on the wall in the kitchen.

Isn’t it beautiful?

So. Merry Christmas to you.

We hope that your dreams come true.

We love you more than you know !