Christmas Past...at Home...

This Bell, is so cool... I bought it at Hoge's Auction, last year... It's from a Small Town, Street Light... John fashioned a hook, out of a very ornate old table spoon, and, made a permanent hook, for the Bell! {The hook is so pretty, that when the Bell is put away, the hook looks like it's part of the old Gasalier!}{and the cob webs... make it look like it's always been there...yeeesh...} I strung a mass of vintage ornaments, to form a 'clapper', for the old Bell... It was pretty cool...

I just got in, 2 wonderful, Vintage Bells, and Brackets... The Bells are Red and White... They originally came from the Red Wing Stoneware Factory, in Red Wing, Minnesota... They will be Perfect, for the Open Houses!

This is last year... Christmas Eve... I wasn't going to put the tree up... in the house... Too tired...But... John surprised me, and started dragging the 12 foot Wonder out, and put it up...{it's quite a production...} then... left... {Oh, he did scale up about 12 feet, to put a hook on the Chandelier, to hold the enormous Street Light, Christmas Bell...then, he left...} I spent the entire day, and evening, with Christmas Music rattling the windows... I strung well over a thousand lights...went through dozens of boxes... and more boxes of tinsel... hundreds and hundreds of ornaments...and... with help of yards of electric fencing wire,{I buy it by the rolls... oh my... Dad taught me early... you can fix most anything, with a little wire!} I secured the vintage store display, Rudolph, in the tree...{I think when I told John, I was going to attempt this, early in the day... that's when he found the door... he wanted no part of it...} {Hey... I wired the tree back to the landing.... and I wired Rudy... no worries!} The mass of ornaments, I have strung together, with ribbon... then draped them around the newel post... I love it...I add more to the string, every year...

It was sad.... We put it up on Christmas Eve... and took it down, New Years Day... Used to be... we'd put it up, the day after Thanksgiving...and take it down, New Years Day... Don't know when I'll get it done, this year... Two Open Houses...Thanksgiving, in between... and much to do... I would so love, to have an Open House, here, at the house... Invite the ones, that have been so kind to me... and... there have been many... but... that means I'd have to get the house clean...oh dear... I spent hours, Sunday, just scrubbing the kitchen floor, and cook stove... oh my gosh.... What A Mess!!!!! With the Cats...Dogs... and us...{oink, oink...} I may as well invite Scout in, too {our horse} He may balk, tho... I think his stall is cleaner... I'll have to see how much ambition I have... Today... well... not too much...

Have a Great Thursday!

Barb C.

{I Love this song... Pachabel...'Canon in D'.... I love to listen to Jazz...and...Blues... while I'm decorating the Tree... But, Pachabel... lets my mind rest...even with the windows rattling!}