Santa Claus is comin’ to town!


Antonia gives Santa a Christmas kiss!
Santa is, indeed, comin’ to town, dearest readers! And soon! These are the precious days of preparation when we open boxes and pull out the treasures we turn to year after year, blessed with the cherished task of creating a memorable Christmas for the loved ones in our family. And the memories abound! I always remember taking Antonia and her friend Samara to Macy’s in downtown San Francisco to sit on Santa’s lap to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Sometimes we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and sometimes we took the ferry. It was an annual event and one we all looked forward to, and, I’m certain, remember now fondly. Years later I took the picture above of my beautiful daughter all grown up, too big to sit on Santa’s lap, and big enough to offer my stuffed Santa a lovely Christmas smooch!

I often find it is the little things that I have collected over the years that bring a smile to my lips and remind me of Christmas over the years as I unpack them once again, don’t you? Each year I carefully pull things out of their tissue paper wrappings, discovering once again the joy of my old Santa cookie jar. I find him so cheery and cute! (And he will soon be filled up with freshly made pecan biscotti!):

…or a beloved polar bear candle holder…

As I bring my Christmas treasures out of their near year-long storage I reassess what is here, like paints on a palette, and ponder how I will use these lovelies this year, for their displays are never quite the same. Some take center stage, others are relegated to supportive roles, each having a special place in the slow, careful creation of Christmas.

Often the main table has a live plant as its centerpiece, but this year I wanted to use this simply pinecone tree and an abundance of candles. It feels right.

It is the kitchen table that holds a plant at its center–the paperwhites I planted not long ago and wrote about in my last post. I’m finding their emerging fragrance a lovely herald of the Christmas season, and perhaps due to the kitchen being open on two sides, there seems to be plenty of room for their scent to permeate other rooms, and thus not be as cloying as I might have anticipated, for which I’m grateful.

On the front door I hung a wreathe I made of what was at hand. I clipped branches from my burgeoning rosemary bushes, from a neighboring bay laurel (house is empty!), from my pyracantha and true myrtle in the garden and from limbs gathered from a large fir tree being pruned down the street. (The workers kindly used their chainsaws to cut branches for me when I asked if I might gather some for a wreathe!) I have to admit it’s a rather wild affair–so much so that I bought a second more conservative one at the local big box store, which I stored meanwhile in the dog’s washtub out back. Imagine my surprise when I went out this morning to retrieve and found it embedded under a thin sheet of ice! It will store nicely until I unearth the second wreathe hanger and it will take its place on a second exterior door. 🙂

I am more than certain each of you is engaged in a similar joyful practice of creating your own holiday in your homes for your loved ones. What are the things you treasure most that help define your holiday celebrations?

May you have a most blessed, peaceful and joyful Christmas. Thank you for visiting and being part of my garden blogging world.

Love and Christmas blessings,
Kathryn xoxo

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town!

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He’s making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town

2 Responses to “Santa Claus is comin’ to town!”

  1. How Lovely! You have such a gift of creating welcoming beauty, mom! Those paperwhites are coming along wonderfully, too! Look forward to seeing you soon. 🙂 Happy Holidays, all!!

    Love you,
    Antonia
    xoxo

  2. Awww, thank you, Antonia! That means a lot to me. I am so looking forward to seeing you, too! Merry Christmas, Sweetheart! Love, Mom xoxo

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