Memories: Christmas Past and Present

Here are some pictures from Christmas this year, as well as some from a long time ago.

Here's my collection of Santas on the buffet.

Our table with Christmas tree napkins and Mom's partridge and pear salt and pepper shakers I gave to her long ago.

Here's the foyer with my Santa mailbox which I used as a classroom decoration for the kids' writing prompt. But our favorite is the 1960's Santa-gingerbread house mobile, which jingles when you touch it.

At Christmas time I swap out the big picture of the barn for the Christmas quilt Grandma Evie made with the attic windows pattern. It has cardinals in the windows. The little tree here has all ornaments my students gave me over the years.

The photo here is of Jessie's 2nd Christmas in a little pinafore dress I made her. The plaster hand print is Jolie's, made at preschool at age 3. These are such treasures! My babies!

The snowman collection goes on the porch table. Several of these were made by my girls.

This one looks so cool at night.

This is a very small tree, which Grandma Evie had in her nineties. She had downsized from her big tree, to a table-top tree, and finally to this small one. I have it now, and it reminds me of her.

In the guest room I have these decorations from my classroom a long time ago. The bunk beds get the miniature knitted stockings, and the window snowman peeks in.

My friend Joy Hay embroidered this for me in a gift exchange many years ago in my Starlets quilting group.

I decorate the guest bathroom with these next three.

My friend Mary Piper made this fun Santa mat, which graces my toilet tank at Christmas time.

Debby's mom Sylvia painted this Victorian ceramic Santa, and I made the guest towels.

This wreath hangs on the outside of the front door.

Outside we have icicle lights on all the windows, and a lighted garland on the post lamp. On the front porch is my antique sled decoration with my old skates. After Christmas I take the ornaments and poinsettias off, and the sled stays up the rest of the winter.

This is a little quilt I made in the old tumbling blocks pattern. The blocks were lined, with separate "lids." It was our Advent calendar, and when the kids were still at home, I filled it with little gifties. They opened one per day from December 1st through Christmas Eve. It was fun!

Here are Mom and me back when we made a lot of Christmas cookies together. She liked to give them as gifts. I wanted them for my kids. And we also made them for the Church Auction: "A dozen each of ten different kinds, delivered to your home the week before Christmas."