Merry Christmas!

I haven't posted in awhile because I have just been too busy with things but will get back into doing updates more regularly in 2009.

But I thought I'd share some of the things that get put out in my house for Christmas. Mind you a few things were not put out because of not wanting to crowd things too much.

First my sideboard in the kitchen:

It has as its center a snow village made up of houses my sister use to use in her "N" scale train setup for Christmas. I have to the left a porcelin nativity scene that I collected from Hallmark and to the right a light up Charlie Brown Christmas scene (my wife loves Snoopy!).





Next the living room. I cleared off the bookcase and filled the three shelves. The top shelf is filled with a collection of Santa Claus's from various years. These were gotten when I lived in Conneticut from that old store Bradlees. There are over 30 of them. They still have the original boxes.

The next shelf is out Nativity scene. Most of these figures we have had for years. I replaced the manger a couple of years ago because the original one had gotten too old. The funny thing is that now we have three baby Jesus's. Last year we could not find our original one anywhere so I went out to look for one and found out that the only way you can get one is to by a whole set. Well finally I found one. Meanwhile my mother had talked to my sister and she sent us one from Texas. Then after hristmas when we were putting stuff away we found the original one. So I named them Moe, Larry and Curly. The palm trees are something I added this year. Always trying to add things.

The bottom shelf is my Santa shelf. The centerpiece is a great Santa's Sleigh with reindeer that I got from Hallmark years ago. Surrounding this are a whole lot of elves doing elvish things. I got them from Acme supermarket years ago. There is even a stable for the reindeer that lights up. The two big statues are by an excellent artist named Lena Liu and are called Nature's Santa and Mrs. Claus. I got them from the Danbury MintShe does some nice work. I have 4 Chinese Princess statues done in porcelin by her.




Next is a drum table in the corner which my mother puts a bunch of odds and ends of figures and stuff. he interesting thing is the little plastic tree in the left. That tree she inherited from her mother and has to be at least 80 years old.




Next are a bunch of singing Snowmen from Hallmark that I have scattered around the room. I have everyone that has come out. You'll notice other Snowmen scattered around too. There are also a bunch of stuffed toys along the top of one couch which I've gotten over the years. A lot from those machines with the claws in the employee cafeteria (until they took them out).



Finally the Christmas tree and yes it has a slight tilt that I discovered after it was decorated and pushed into its corner. I said I was not going to crawl around under it anymore for a little tilt! Its a little smaller this year so a lot of my Hallmark ornaments like all my Star Trek star ships are not on it. But all my planes from the Hallmark series are there, all 12 years of them. Every time I put one up I think of my father. He use to spend hours getting all the lights ready then starting from the center of the tree worked outward. Of course he never really got started until Christmas Eve.











































So I hope you enjoy this little look at what my wife calls "Christmas House".

Spec