Decorating at Home

A small manger set on an accent table. One of the three wise men are missing. Mom says he ran away. I think it was probably the one with the gold.

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I found a water candle to plug in. It is a cheap kind. Not sure if he works, or if it is so old it could

burn the house down if it does work. I'll plug it in where I can see it for now. My infamous oil candle collection lies in boxes...unopened for many years. Long ago I lived in a little house with a closed in porch that had these wonderful long shelves and was all windows. I had them all lined up out there. I've lived several places since then and never anywhere that I could display all of them. They do tend to smell from the kerosene...even the stuff that is not supposed to smell.

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We have four spinners left. They look like little plastic bird cage ornaments with metal spinners

in them that spin when they get warm. My grandmother had them on her tree long ago. We put them on the tree every year. I don't have many items that belonged to Mu. I think I have one of her candy dishes and some Finnish table runners and a blanket. Oh and her God-awful fake fur hat. I'll never wear it, but I'll never part with it.

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I put up these vintage plastic bells on either side of the garage door. They are easily 1970's, and they aren't anything special. Probably someone would throw them away, but I put them up every year somewhere. My mom had a step uncle....or perhaps he was her father's cousin, we were never sure...who married a woman who lived up on the hill. I never met the woman until she was 95 years old, and I was searching out people who may have photographs of my relatives from mom's side in Poland. Her name was Anna. And she did have plenty of photographs from her late husband's side which no one would want, and happily gave them to me. Pictures of my grandpa and his cousins during World War I. Sadly, I didn't get to spend more time with her. She was ailing...and she thought she would die before Christmas so she started giving me her Christmas stuff. Thus, the bells. She lived to see another Christmas, but not much longer after that. I was very grateful for the photos.

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Ironically my own baby picture was among them.

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Well, I better get back to work.