Christmas Decorations

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I posted. That week has sure flown by. There are so many things I want to talk about today that it will be hard to stop, but I'll try to control myself and save some for later. I think it is Christmas that brings so many good memories and thoughts to mind. I was just putting up some decorations and cleaning up a bit - trying to make the place look at least a little festive. We won't get our tree until next week end (I like to leave it up for awhile and I still get my way about having a real tree - for now) but I have a small tree that I put up in the bay window and some nutcrackers and stuff that I can put out now. I also got some new lights to put out on the deck - better get to that before it gets dark. Putting up the creche has always been Toby's job - he always helped Mom put it up when it was at her house too - but he's busy today, so I put it up for him. I hope he doesn't mind, but it gave me a chance to look at it more closely. There's the manger itself, made by Papa out of some crates or something. I think there are several of them floating around and I am lucky to have one. I was only 6 months old when he died and I wish I had known him. I have this image of him based on the things my mother told me about him and the pictures of him I have seen and I wonder what it would have been like to know him. The manger and the bookcase that he made for my mother are things I have that make me think of him and how much Mom loved him. There are also the figurines, all stamped .29 or .39 on the bottom, probably bought at Grants or the 5 and 10. One of the kings has had his head glued back on, and one of the camels still has the residue of chewing gum on his feet from when we used it to make him stand up on top of the television. That must have been Wayne's idea, but it worked and the gum leveled him out so that now he stands up with no problem. There's the angel that is supposed to hang from the peak of the manger. We always had trouble making her stay, and used a bobby pin to hold her in place. She's still a problem and I haven't figured out how we hung her last year. One of the sheep is chipped and looks gray and white spotted rather than all white. Over all it looks pretty shabby, I guess, but I can't imagine having anything else.
Well, I'd better stop procrastinating and get back at it. It was great to hear from you all this week. Thanks U. Frank for giving us another perspective on the porch and shredded wheat packaging :-)
Oh, yea, I talked to Rob and Barb today and all is well with them. Hopefully I have inspired at least Barbara to add a comment to let you all know what they are up to - my brother is an old (and soon to be even older) humbug.
Bye for now.
Betsy