OK so I guess this is SORT of goofy, but I like the idea and thought you might enjoy it too. Over the years, Ed and I have collected quite the assortment of Holiday decorations. I just wanted to share some favorites and tell their stories!
My Mother was really really uptight about her decorations, especially the tree ornaments and such. I think growing up during the depression made her more thankful (and worried) about the "things" she had. So, although I don't believe that THINGS are more important than people and feelings, I am glad she has instilled in us this sort of uptight thinking about taking care of our decorations. Each item has a speical box and packaging and is taken care of with the utmost tender loving care. It is a lot more work unpacking and re-packing each Christmas but I hope that MY kids will care for their decorations this way too.
So, here are a couple of my favorites... I'll share one or two each day with you here!
These are two of my oldest and newest decorations. Oldest because they were Mom's and we used them EVERY Christmas when I was growing up. New because I just acquired them a year or two ago. Mom's old Nativity and a plastic Santa doll.
The nativity is funny.... it really and truly is NOT the prettiest thing you ever saw. The stable is a cheap thin board with a sticker scene in the back and poorly painted ceramic figures. The light up top for the star no longer works. The paint is chipping on some of the figures and the sheep is missing. The baby Jesus has fallen out of his swaddling wrap and there is no manger - but one that my son made of popscicle sticks. However, this nativity set was simply THE most beautiful thing to me when I was growing up. Mom always set it up in the center of the livingroom, on top of our huge console stereo TV system. She put light, fluffy, silky angel hair under it and placed each figure with precision. I remember thinking it was jus the most elegant, beautiful thing in the world.(I think it was the angel hair?) So, although it is old and worn and not the best quality, it was and always will be special to me. It is old, Mom had it most of her adult life - and it is new - to me, as I just got it handed down to me a couple of years ago.
Santa. Same story goes, old/new as Mom had it forever and ever (I think she told me she had it long before her older kids were born which makes it over 50 yrs old?) and it is new, again, as it was just passed to me recently. This is a good old fun Santa doll. He stands about 15 inches tall maybe? He is plastic and has painted on facial features, including these crazy BLACK wrinkle lines! (my dd thinks it is gross) He has a sewn fabric suit with cotton batting for the trim. His plastic boots are firmly stuck to his feet although I think they USED to come off. His belt is fastened on with a sewing pin (as is some of his clothes) and he is just old. I'd like to see if I could find out how old, where he'd come from, that sort of thing... I just love him. Again, he is not beautiful or anything fancy, she probably bought him at a 5 and dime store like King's or something, but I love him and am so giddy happy to have him and put him out - even if my kids think he is creepy! ROTF!
Darla
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