A January Christmas

Gregg, Sarah, and Ursula didn't arrive to celebrate Christmas in Vermont until the weekend after New Year's.


At first Ursula was busy handing out packages to her parents and to Grandma, but that just helped her locate the size package she was most interested in.


At Thanksgiving Ursula had requested an American Girl Doll to keep the one she had gotten several Christmases ago "company." Certainly wouldn't be kind to have a lonely doll!

Ursula has always loved stuffed animal toys. A super soft rabbit puppet was a surprise for this Christmas. Even Gregg couldn't resist playing with it.


Meanwhile, we tried to keep all the wrapping paper and boxes under control, but with this family that never works completely.


The kitchen is due to be repainted in a couple of weeks, almost the same colors. You'll get a chance to compare this picture with fresh paint pictures in another post.


When my boys were little, I made wind chimes out of slices of colored glass bottles that were allowed to flatten somewhat in a kiln. You can see them below...

I think that's one of the fitted oilcloth tablecloths I had asked for.

As far as "things" are concerned, I really have everything I need. I sure don't want more nick-knacks to dust. But some useful items are kind enough to wear out so small changes can add a little spice to the ordinary. The fitted tablecloths are nice enough to do that.

Sarah was super...she filled my requests.

My Grandmother would have been horrified, my mother would have been picking it all up, but I've come a long way and didn't worry about how the place looked. Besides, the "stuff" will all leave the next day.

 The best reason to come to Vermont in the winter is to play in piles of white snow! Ursula wanted to use the sled she had had as a baby. Our plastic toboggans worked better in unpacked snow.

It's rather amazing what gets made for dolls. You can't put water in the old-fashioned washing machine, but the agitator moves and the wringers really wring. It was my great-aunt Mary who made the afghan throw that's on the back of the couch.

The cardinal ornament is really too heavy for Christmas tree branches so it hangs on the sconce.

Ursula enjoyed my swivel chair. She could turn away from the rest of us and get lost in her books. It delights me to know that she likes to read.


Sarah always has a knitting or crocheting project to keep her busy.


Gregg and Ursula had brought with them some toy men with parachutes, figuring they could drop them from the loft. The parachutes didn't slow down the fall so that experiment was a bust, but they had fun trying. I tried to catch the toys in flight without success...they fell too fast.

When William and I built the house, a friend of ours took some of our bricks, added colors, and baked them in her kiln. They later became part of our chimney.

William found the loft railing on a church burn pile. They were glad to have him haul it away! 

The first cabinet just inside the kitchen has two stained glass doors that William created.

The tall propane heater on the back wall is covered with words on magnets. Years ago I gave up keeping track of what people create with those words. Every once in awhile I notice a different pattern, take a peek, and usually have a chuckle.

That's a rug beater hanging next to the propane heater. I've actually made use of it several times. The strange black machine is for indoor exercising.
Below, company has gone home and it's almost time to put Christmas away until next December. I have one last chore. Ursula likes to get out my craft boxes and see what she can create. I realized I'd been saving the walnut shells for about 35 years, expecting that one day I would glue any matching halves together to make more "strawberries" for the Christmas tree. I decided 35 years was long enough...it was now or never...

I found 12 matching pairs. They'll be a project for Ursula's next visit. The rest went into the wood stove.

The best gift of all arrived after the village and tree had disappeared...it's the thank you note from Ursula... awesome!