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| The First Two - Snoopy & the Giraffe |
My husband’s
mother started this wonderful tradition and it is one we are happy to have
passed on to our own children. The first year we were married, she gave us two
hand-blown glass ornaments. There was something about them that tickled her
fancy and made her smile. We had the same reaction as we gently removed them
from their boxes and held them in our hands. The first two arrived over 45
years ago and new ones have been added to our collection each year since –
either by her and later when she was unable, by us.
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| Popeye & Olive Oil |
She found
them in a little shop on Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale Arizona. Luckily, when that
shop closed we were able to locate a new source for these treasured mementos.
First we found a shop in Solvang California called the Jule Hus, which bills itself
as a year-round Christmas store. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to walk
in the shop for our annual purchase and view them all hanging from the ceiling.
Later, when we moved to Northern California, we found an online retailer, The Cottage Shop, that specializes in
all things Christmas – including a wonderful selection of these fanciful and
fragile decorations.
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| Drippy the Raindrop |
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| Alien Santa |
During our
Air Force years, these beloved characters were never entrusted to the movers
but were packed in our car, like the rest of our growing family, and traveled
with us. Living in earthquake country, we've been known to tether the tree to a hook in the ceiling.
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| Happy and Sad Lions |
When the
children were old enough, I started their own collection and have added to it
each year since.
Christmas is
special for many reasons – not the least of which is the reason we celebrate;
the birth of our savior, Jesus – the gathering together of family and friends
and hopefully, at least for a little while, to enjoy peace and goodwill toward
our fellow inhabitants on this earth.
But the
chance to ooh and aww over these bits of joy and visit with them for a while,
is another reason the holiday season is special at our house.
I’d love to hear about some
of your family’s traditions.
