This year, as I decorated the house for Christmas, I decided to only put out the things that I really like. This jumbo, oversized Santa card from the 1960s made the cut. (Does this make it a paper cut?)
As a kid, I loved to spend time with our neighbors, the Turners. They didn't have children of their own, so we six Thompson kids became a part of their extended family. And vice versa. Although they gave me many gifts over the years, and I have kept most of those items, for some reason this card that they gave to me in the mid-1960s is special to me. As a youngster, I always enjoyed touching the velvety soft "fabric" of Santa's suit. I'm surprised there are not worn spots that would require a patch in S.C.'s breeches. :-)
These delicate glass ornaments are a must-have for my CHRISTmas decorating scheme. I no longer hang them on the tree, but they reside in an antique glass basket during the month of December. I know this would please my mother-in-law, if she knew that her ornaments are cherished and are still on display.
When Mr. Smith and I first were married, we ordered this Advent calendar from the Lands' End catalog. Yes, this was back in the dark ages when orders were made by calling the "800" number. (Does anyone still call the "operators who are standing by" to order from mail-order catalogs?)
When the Smithlings were little, they were eager to have their turn to move the wooden star each day. My, how things have changed! This season, we went for days without the star progressing at all. I actually had to pay them to move it. Not really. But it nearly came to that.
Ever since the kids were born, I have bought them new ornaments each Christmas to add to their box of decorations. Some years it is difficult to find the right one. I do actually put some thought into this. I like to find something that represents a significant event, or has some meaning.
The week after Liesey got home from Pepperdine, we made a few trips to the mall to wrap up the Christmas shopping. There were just a few items we needed that I was not able to have Amazon deliver to my doorstep. On one of our outings, we both laughed when we saw this ornament and immediately knew that we HAD to get this for her big brother.
Yes, it's a cat driving a fishmobile. What's the significance?
This goes back thirteen years to the somewhat mediocre Disney animated movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Our family frequently uses several silly quotes from various movies. This movie is one of 'em that supplies one or two quotes.
I'm not sure why, but one of our fav. lines from this movie is said (by a character named Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini) as the "good guys" are selecting a "Ketak" to use to chase the bad guys.
What's a Ketak? A Ketak is a stone vehicle, carved into the shape of a fish, that is powered by the energy components possessed with the crystal shards from the Heart of Atlantis. (Say what?!) That sounds plausible, huh?
Vinny surveys the options of fish vehicles before him and says, "You got something sporty? You know, like a tuna?"
I don't know why, but over the years, our fam has repeated this line over and over again. It is so silly.
When we were shopping and saw this ornament of a cat driving a tuna, we both blurted out the "sporty, like a tuna" line at the same time. "Jinx! Pinch, poke, you owe me a Coke!" Neither of us like Coke, so we didn't adhere to the rules of being jinxed and having to pay up. Maybe we should've used Starbucks, or better yet, Peet's Coffee, in the place of Coke. Next time.
Any way, this ornament is truly sporty, like a tuna. It was a purrfect choice. Big Brother got it -- no long-winded explanation required. Actually, no explanation at all.
Okay, so we are a weird family.
At least our decorating didn't turn out weird.
Well... unless you think it's weird that the stockings are hung with care from the mantle on the outdoor fireplace. It is a covered patio area, so it is almost indoors. I figure that this location makes it easier for S.C. to fill the socks.
It was a team effort to get the exterior of the house decorated. With everyone lending a hand, it didn't take long.
This year, we bought more jumbo ornaments at Costco to decorate the Holly trees. Several neighbors complimented our efforts, so we must be doing okay; however, we cannot keep up with the Joneses. We don't actually have any neighbors named Jones, but we do have several folks in the 'hood who pay to have their exterior lights profe$$ionally installed along the roofline. We just don't put lights up that high. Problem solved. Money saved.
This is as high as we go.
Here is the view from the court:
When I took this photo, I didn't notice that there was a small section of lights on one of the garlands that had gone out. Don't worry. We fixed that; however, I neglected to take another picture.
The two trees in front of our casa are live oaks. When mature, they will be 40-60+ feet tall. We will definitely not be putting lights on them when they are at that height. We will not still be living in this house. We likely will not be living at all!
And given the fact that the spread of these trees is 60'+ wide, in 100 years, the front of the house will not even be visible.
Why did the developer of our neighborhood think these trees were a good idea to put in the front lawns? Who knows... Nearly every house on our street has 'em.
Maybe someday it'll look like this on Everest Road:
Ha!!!
I cannot imagine putting lights on a 40' tall tree, but there are people who do. Or people who hire people who do. :-) As we drove through a neighborhood in Dallas, we spotted this decked out tree:
I would not have any idea of how much it costs to wrap a giant tree in strings of LEDs. Cha-ching?
Our Christmas tree looks rather puny compared to the tree in the previous picture.
Jemima thinks it is purrfect. Our silly cats love to snooze under the tree and on top of packages.
This year, I made the mistake of buying sparkly ribbon and wrapping paper.
The upside? It is soooo pretty and festive.
The downside? It's pretty messy.
The cats have had shimmering, sparkling coats most days. I, too, usually have glitzy stuff on my face, and hands, and clothing. The floor is even glittery. It'll be the gift that keeps on giving, long after the recycling guys pick up all the used giftwrap.
Feast your eyes on these beautifully wrapped presents.
Mr. Santa has the right idea. Paper bags and duct tape work just fine. And who needs a bothersome tag when writing on the tape with a fat, black Sharpie works perfectly.
When the kids were little, we never did Santa gifts.
Bah, humbug! (I know that you are thinking it, so I said it for you.)
Now that our kids are grown up, Mr. Smith has fun buying silly games, books, cosmetic items and favorite junk food for the 3Smithlings. They all enjoy seeing what those brown grocery bags contain. Santa never disappoints! There are always things that make for a good laugh. And that's the best gift of all.
