Peeks in the Downstairs

I used to eschew Santa at Christmas time...but the jolly old elf had a way of showing up at our place anyway. I finally gave in and decided if you can't lick 'em, you might as well join 'em.

Santa is after all a story, and I do cherish stories from all cultures.

My Santa collection grew without me even trying. I just picked them out of what had accumulated over the years, and by massing them together in one place, created the display

My mom stitched the tiny cross stitch mini quilts. The tea pot is a "tea for one" set, with a cup and bot combining together into one piece. Small family pictures were mixed in to fill in the space.

I've got one picture up of Jeff visiting Santa as a child, and need to round up other pictures of him and his sister in similar shots taken over the years.

I might even want to have some of them blow up to much larger prints.

Now this is probably the most interesting Santa.

My mom was very into making ceramics at one point. She took classes, and would often create a project that the instructor would teach.

This project: Santa's Peanut Warmer.

(be careful how you say that out loud....)

Santa's hat is removable, and beneath it is a smooth cup shaped space designed to be filled with peanuts, which in turn are warmed by the light bulb inside Santa's body. The light bulb lights up Santa's eyes and belt.

In the dark, Santa looks quite fearful.

Jeff loved having Santa's peanut warmer in his room growing up.

All his guy friends used to laugh like crazy about it.

Oh yeah...naughty boys each and every one of them.

The end table beside the couch hold a ceramic Yule log, also created by my Mom.

We occasionally did Advent candle lighting using this piece. It never felt quite right, as Advent candles should be in a circle.

(What I want to know is who decides these ecclesiastical details anyway???)

Now...I've added Swedish ornaments, and just call it what it is: Yule Log.
It is decorated with Druid greens and holly that ward off evil spirits...oh, I mean, to add more color.

(Gosh it is hard to keep all the Christmas motif pure. Hanukkah is sooo much easier!)

Yesterday, (Sunday) it began to snow the heaviest wettest snow I have ever seen here. On Thursday the temperatures dipped well below freezing, then Saturday night at 5:30 the temperatures rose to a balmy 40 F, and by 8:30 the temperature had climbed to 42 degrees!

Not knowing too much about how snow works, I blame the high temperatures for the soggy snowfall.

My huge blue spruce (I think that is what it is called..) was dusted with snow at 9 am.
I took a picture.

And kept taking pictures every hour.

I shoveled the driveway twice...an awful lot of snow fell, and Bernie was up in Fresno visiting his brother and his Mom.

My little reindeer was standing in old snow early in the morning.

And was up to its little belly by lunch time!

Today as I drove to work the sky was a mix of clouds and sunshine, the air crystal clear and the view...oh my gosh...the view of snow covered mountains went forever.

I had a hard time paying attention to the road...I want so bad to pull over and take pictures in every direction.

Wish you could have been here to see it with me.

(you have set up a watch or a "ding" for great airline ticket prices to SLC, haven't you? HAVEN'T YOU??? OK, Laura, I know you hate snow...so you are exempt from this request.)