At the request of flossy, we are staying “home” this Christmas. We will not be travelling like we have the last couple of years, so her request gave me a chance to decorate. I think she and the Engineer are now wondering whether I may have started drinking the eggnog a little early but the pleasure it has brought me and (they will not admit it) my family has been worth it.
Six years ago as we packed up our life to come to the USA, we packed very lightly…believing it would only be a short three years. So many of my “treasures” are hidden away in a dusty corner of our storage container back home.
However, whilst the packing machine my Mum was in full motion, I managed to hide a few treasures so that I would have something to enjoy. Creating a feeling of home and family in a town, city, country we were yet to discover.
This is what greets us and our friends every day. I actually think it is the best part of all the decorating! Note the little pillow? Created by my talented friend Tina Zaccardi who can embroider everything onto just about anything. She made this for us and it is one of the many treasures she has made for us over the past six years. The blue chair was painted by Gran in her 2006 Max arrival trip!..she had one can and so many things are now blue. And don’t you love my mail box? The mailman said it is the only vintage grain scoop he puts mail into! Of course every good American home has a radio flyer – Maxie man’s first car from one of this three godmothers.
Seriously love my $10 Christmas Tree Shop wreath and wall sticckies…
Not sure where this little angel came from but I know it was from Mum – perhaps one of her crafting friends or perhaps a market. Even so, she always greets us when we first walk through the door.
All our knitted and fluffy Christmas friends came with us and this year they are surrounded by cards and treasures of our time here. Of course on of the many beautiful trees painted by Mum (this one celebrating Rose’s first Christmas), stands quietly behind them all. See the Nativity set? All knitted and made specially for us by a Great Aunty of my friend Roslyn who now (sadly) is back in the UK. I had her Aunty make two and the second set now lives with EE. Of course baby Jesus is nowhere to be seen. Flossy always tucks him out of sight until Christmas morning.
Above our “fireplace” is our beautiful folk art stocking holder and now that we are in the USA we actually put these out for Santa. Flossy has always been impressed that she gets a double whammy – a stocking and a sack! Neil loves it because Santa comes to him too. Traditionally these stockings get filled with DVD’s and lollies. Underneath this is another Karenne special, plus our dancing animals (you can never have too many) and a beautiful knitted Christmas friend sent to us by our gorgeous Vicki!
Treasures from friends near and far line the piano with photos of our first Christmas – celebrated in the snowy Adirondack Mountains. I love it when Flossy sits down at the piano and plays her music. She has such a talent but like the average 16 year old, doesn’t realize it. I love my partridge in a pear tree – received one year from my dear friend Joyce and the Menorah was something I just had to have. I have truly come to love many of the jewish traditions and customs.
My Jo treasures have a special place flanking the treasured memory frame of the community musical shows that I have worked on…you may also notice some little people…lying there as a result of …(see the next comment)
and for the first time we have truly been able to set up Flossy’s magic Christmas Village. Many of the houses given to us by friends and some from Santa. Max is in love with it and every day he will move the people around, let them go shopping or skating and even to the outhouse!…which results in little people waiting to be fixed (see pic above!)
…is what I feel as I sit and enjoy the lights, the dancing reindeer, the singing cows and the jingling snowman.
