Lighting The Darkness...

 

Putting Up The Trees... 

The Minute Thanksgiving was over, Dear Readers, Sally May wanted to put up her Christmas Tree. I was in complete agreement, because I am now working mostly from Home again, and I sit all day in front of her house... only sometimes lapsing into Daydreams of what I will do when I have more time. And it occurred to me that I had a string of mini LED's that needed to be put to use to light her Christmas Tree! It only took a minute or two to get the lights on the tree and the batteries installed... and OH!!!!! Sally May is overjoyed (and me too!) at the results! Their house is still a "fixer-upper" I am afraid, and electricity has yet to be installed, so the battery lights are just the perfect solution. And as soon as I had finished that task... I heard Blue the Blue Fairy Bearey asking for her Tree to be put up as well. And I had a couple of things that needed to be added to that tree too...

The whole gang was there to see it 

when the lights were switched on.

There is a garland of snowflakes.....

And if you look very carefully...

There are three tiny Snowmen ornaments 

that were made by Birgit and sent to me last year!

Here is a close-up of one of them... 

the red "scarf" helps you find him 

if the orange carrot nose isn't bright enough!

I think they are perfect for this tree!

And over at The Lovely Old Dollhouse...

Charles has managed to get the Tree up

 before anyone else had noticed!

Helen finds it very comforting...

It is always the same tree in the same place

 and looks just as beautiful as ever!

And the lights are so lovely...

It brings a great sense of Peace to her heart.

And while we are thinking about Christmas Lights, Dear Readers, 

I want to show you a small update on the

 Christmas Tree Skirt I have been stitching.

I was able to do a great deal of stitching last week

 while I was home on Vacation...

And it had occurred to me that I didn't think All the trees

 in the Village should have the same lights!

Some of the houses might want to have only "White" lights!

And that made me decide that maybe one side of the skirt

 should be only "white" lights (here stitched in yellow thread).

I thought I would test the look first with just one house... 

I had already added the red lights to the rest 

of the trees on this side of the skirt.

I really liked the way it looked!

And here I have also added a couple more "cavorting" deer!

But I really wanted to get started on the other half of the Tree Skirt!

It is easier to stitch it by turning it "upside down" 

from the way I was stitching.

This works as long as you turn it 180 degrees around...

 the stitches will still slant in the same direction

 as the other half of the skirt.

This would not be true if I only turned it 90 degrees!

And while I was stitching the red roofs... I had an idea...

see that red "dot"....?

way off in the empty area at the bottom?

Can you guess what will come next...?

Look! It's Rudolph!!!

He will be a real "standout" 

amongst those all "White" lights!

You can see here that the Trees and the lights have been started!

And that is as far as I got, Dear Readers, on my Vacation week.

I might not have much time for stitching now that

 I am back to work and all my spare Time

 needs to be used to draw the Annual Christmas Card!

Yes, it is once again that Season....

It always takes me longer to make than I think it will....

 and I can tell you that I am "working on it"! 

But I won't show any of it here

 until it is done and mailed.

So you will have to be patient

 if I don't have much to report for a while!

But at least I have put up the Trees

 to Light The Darkness!

On A Cloud-e Day......

I've Got Sunshine.....

I am sure that All of you, Dear Readers, will know the Happy anticipation that comes with packages arriving at your house at this time of year! And sometimes when the box is from someone you have received packages from more than once, you can feel special excitement because you know you will Love the contents once they are revealed. And such was the case with the box that arrived from Dear Birgit in Germany, even though I had to wait a couple of extra days and collect it from the Post Office when it was open last Saturday, a Cloudy and rainy day! Imagine my surprise when it was "bulkier" than usual.... and there was an extra specially wrapped box inside.... What could this be....?

Well, perhaps you can imagine my Surprise

 when I opened the box to find this smiling fellow inside!!!

Well, he came with a card explaining his name is "Cloude"

which is a play on the name
"Claude" and the Cloud Palace where

 the Fairy Bears all live over here.

Of course, when I thanked Birgit,

 I forgot to add the "e" to his name... 

and just wrote "Cloud"..... 

(Which got me a little bit in trouble!)

But meanwhile, Cloude was so happy

 to be out of his box, and so eager to go exploring....

 

He dropped by The Folly... 

(it really was a Cloud-y Day!)

But no-one was home so he continued on...

No-one was home at The Tree House either....

but there was plenty of Snow... 

so he felt right at home already!

He Dropped in at the Cloud Palace Tower Garden

 to admire the mini silver tree...

but no-one was here either.

On top of the Cloud Palace Lookout Tower

 he found some tea and cakes...

But no-one was there either!

At last he found his way into The Cloud Palace Living Room

 where All the Fairy Bearys were still admiring

 the perfect Silver Tinsel Tree.....!

"Oh, Hullo" he said.

 "My name is Cloude, with an E" he added, just to be sure.

"I've come from BiWuBarenLand, and I bring greetings!"

And Believe it or not, Dear Readers, 

Just then the sunshine burst through the Clouds

 and filled the room with Light!

Well, really, Dear Readers, 

knowing these BiWuBaren Beings as I do... 

I was not so surprised...

That Cloud-with-an-e brought Sunshine!!

 

Thank you again, Dear Birgit!

I am So touched and Surprised!

 

 

(Now back to work on the Christmas Card!)

So Little Time.....

So Much To Do....

Once Again, Dear Readers, the Same Old Tree has been put up in the living room of The Lovely Old Dollhouse. It seems such a short Time ago that I promised I would show you the ornaments up close and in good light! But I fear I shall have to postpone that promise for another day. It is dark and the lighting is poor.... and the Tree has already been put up!

And Helen and Charles are enjoying the

 beautiful lights and shiny ornaments.

 It seems that no matter how many years go by, 

every year the thrill is the same,

  that burst of Joy when the little lights go on!

I will never grow tired of seeing the little Tree!

And over in The Shabby Sister House, 

Chip has put up the same silver tree.... 

Sally May Loves it, but Chip thinks it needs

 a little something this year....

His Father agrees.... 

but they have no idea what is needed!

Meanwhile over at The Cloud Palace,

Blue has lit the Same Silver Tinsel Tree...

 

And all the Fairy Bears have gathered around to admire it!

 

It looks just Perfect!

I Wish I had more to show, Dear Readers,

 but I spent the weekend rushing around

 to get ready for my Sister to visit

 and then traveling to her Grandchildren with gifts.

There is just so Little Time

 and so Much to be done...

And I haven't even started the Christmas Card!

The Nativity.....

A Last Minute Thing....


I Hope you will not mind, Dear Readers, that the Nativity was not set up in the Lovely Old Dollhouse until nearly the Last minute. Pollyanna has been very preoccupied with her mini projects and was almost forgetting what day it was. Charles reminded her that it was Time to get the figures set up... tomorrow being Christmas Eve. But really, if we think about it.... this is as it should be! The Holy Family were traveling and when night began to fall, they stopped and searched for a place to sleep.  But the Town was crowded and there were no beds to be found at the Inn, so they had to sleep in the Stables with the Beasts. They could not know or predict when the Holy Child would arrive... and Suddenly it was Time...!

Pollyanna enjoys the ritual of setting up the figures... 

so well known... each with it's story and place...

Although by now you probably remember

 that it is difficult to recall on which side the Camel belongs...!

This year it is resting on the Left...

Perhaps you can see it way back there behind the Kings?

The Shepherds were the First to arrive after all...

And even over at The Folly, Will has set up the little Creche in the Window....

Although it is harder to see now that there are such Sumptuous Drapes....

Perhaps we will be able to see better in the Morn

When Christmas Day has come!

And though it is not related to the Nativity, Dear Readers,

 I wanted to show you another gift I received from Birgit... 

although she might have forgotten it by now!

Blue the Blue Fairy Bearey has set up the Silver Tinsel Tree

 in its usual place in the Cloud Palace Parlor...

And she has called all the rest of the Fairy Bearey Gang to come see the Tree.

"I have a surprise for you ..." said Blue The Blue Fairy Bearey.

"I don't see anything different..." said Brother Beorn....

 "It looks like the Same old tree to me!"

"Well, just wait a moment said Blue...."

And she waved her magic wand...

"Ta Da!" she said!

"We have lights!"

Everybearey gasped in surprise....!

"Oooh...." said Sweet pea.... "That is Brilliant!"

So the Bearey Gang all enjoyed cake and tea

 in the light of the Brilliant Silver Tinsel Tree....

 lit with a string of lights sent to me Last Year by Birgit!!!

(And yes, I remembered at the Last Minute and went to find them...!)

And lest you think I have been doing Nothing but the Christmas Card....

Here is blossom number Thirty-eight...!

And with it's buddies in the box....

My my.... we are running out of room...

Soon there will be No room to put them in....!

 

Well, Dear Readers, I hope you all

 have a Wonderful Christmas Holiday...

With plenty of room and plenty of Love...

Even if it is a Last Minute Thing!

(And yes... I am still working on the Christmas Card!)