Christmas

Hooray Holiday Display

| Flower Roberts

Our family has been driving past this over-the-top display of lighted figurines each Christmas Eve for years. It is on the way to my parents’ house. We had always looked forward to this eclectric, electric holiday show as part of our Christmas Eve traditions…and then it disappeared.

We were sad that one of our bright spots during the holidays had vanished. We lamented its removal… until several weeks ago. I was driving home from running errands. I stopped at a stop sign and looked left. I could not believe it! There they were! All our beloved characters were in a new location. I immediately texted the good news to my family.

There was the choir in the bleachers.

There were the snowmen.

The Gingerbread Village.

The Dickensonian carolers.

The penguins and the igloo.

Many Santas and snowmen.

Polar bears and brown bears.

The Nativity was separated from the fray in its own display.

All our beloved characters had moved to our county.

Close enough to visit numerous times.

I even braved getting out of my vehicle to photograph the scene.

I hope these folks know how appreciated this yard full of light is to others.

Happy Holidays

DECA DECO

| Flower Roberts

I used to invite my friends over to play with glitter, glue and napkins, too.

We spent hours sitting around a table carefully tapping napkins onto sticky Christmas balls.

Laughter sent scraps and glitter into the air and everywhere.

The floor was a mess afterwards. I smiled as I swept.

There will be more glitter, glue and napkins, too.

But for now, I will hold each ball in my hands and remember my friends.

LOVE FLOW

An Easy Wreath

| Flower Roberts

I purchased a new type of wreath frame this year.

It has greenery covered wires attached to the rings. This will make it easier to attach and remove fresh greenery.

I collected snips of greenery from my Christmas tree and holly and ferns around our property.

I used the little green wire arms to secure these pieces to the frame.

There were two tiers of arms to give the wreath depth. They were long enough to wrap several times around the stems.

Now we shall see how well this new ‘Work Wreath’ holds up in the elements.

Happy Holidays

Flower

The Oldest Ornament

| Flower Roberts

We have certain Christmas traditions in my family.

At my house my whole family decorates our tree together.

Each person has a box of their own ornaments.

As we place these on the tree we talk about where each came from.

Some were made in school.  Some were gifts from family or friends.

My ornament is the oldest.

I made it in Mr. G’s class in the sixth grade.

Mary has a styrofoam head and is wearing a gown of light blue felt. Baby Jesus is a clothespin.

This precious ornament used to hang on my parents’ tree.

My children decorate their tree while we are there on Christmas Eve. Mom and my two children are in charge of the tree,

while my husband and dad grill the steaks.

Mary made it to my house when my two children were old enough to appreciate her.

When she is placed on the tree each year, I again tell that my twelve-year-old hands made this treasure.

I would like for Mr. G to know that I am still “Singing My Song”.

Now my songs involve a camera and computer.

Almost eleven thousand people from all over the world have heard me “sing” this year.

Thanks for helping an awkward, adolescent girl find her voice.

Bless you Mr G..

FLOWER

 

Shame and the Snowmen

| Flower Roberts

Back about twenty years or so ago, we only had one nativity scene.

My daddy made it, so I loved it.

But…

It was brown. Flower does not like brown things, she likes green things.

There were only two wisemen and no camels.

Or maybe they were shepherds, but there were no sheep either.

It was hard to tell Mary and Joseph apart. They both seemed to have beards.

Jesus was square.  Poor Jesus.

So this brown, hodgepodge nativity scene was set up in the basement.

The shame occurred in my Sunday School class.

We were discussing the true meaning of Christmas.

Our class was sharing stories of all the distractions of the holidays,

that put Jesus in the “basement.”

Flower, being the open-book fool that she is,

shared the information that her Jesus actually was in the basement

and that our main floor was decorated with colorful snowmen.

Some good Lutheran gasps were heard ’round the room.

So every year since, I have found one special Nativity scene to add to my holiday decorations.

Just to remind me what Christmas is all about.

See any snowmen?

FLOW