Not A Creature Was Stirring

Not even a mouse!

This little matchbox mouse ornament is one of my oldest and one of my favorites.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Our Christmas Traditions

The husband has to have his chocolate covered cherries and eggnog. I make banana bread and forgotten cookies. Other things come and go with the baking, but these are constants. (And I've only just learned that hubs doesn't like forgotten cookies!) Poinsettias seem to show up annually too. So bright and cheerful!

Early in my marriage I began collecting ornaments for the Christmas tree. A house fire destroyed those earliest ornaments – the first Hallmark ornaments that were made of yarn, for instance. That didn’t dissuade me though. I picked up the hobby from there and over the years I have amassed so many that I am only able to display a fraction of them each year. Some of my favorites are figural Hallmark ornaments, but some of the handmade ornaments hold the most meaning for me.

I used to buy communication themed ornaments because I was a telephone operator in a past life. My husband's nickname was Hershey, thus the cocoa themed ornament.

My sons’ great-grandmother made this one with their photo in it when she was a cafeteria aide at her local school. I treasure it because of her, and because it so perfectly captures that special time in their lives. At about the same time, I made these little mice in stockings and personalized them with their names.

This is a remembrance of my other hobby, calligraphy - not that I need a remembrance of it! Evidence of calligraphy and mixed media art is all through my house!

Another tree is covered with angel ornaments, and my hutch is covered with my nativity scene and my houses and stores.

I barely decorated the house last year, but this year I had time to do it, and a family to do it for. Even when I don't go all out, my sons' stockings are pulled out, and hold many memories.

I recently found this old letter to Santa (and his reply!) I framed it and will have it out each year too.

What are your Christmas traditions? Do you have special Christmas collectibles that appear year after year?

This is December! First Frost

November's unusual warm and sun was bound not to last. This morning (fitting for December 1st) we had our first frost. I went outside and snapped several photos of nature's icy artwork.