Adding to Special Collections

Traditions are what make holidays personal and special.

I have been collecting "Santa on Animals" for many years.

When I could never find my favorite animal,

a sheep with Santa riding on it's back,

my daughter Kate made one for me.



Thus began one of my dearest holiday traditions.

For the past several years,

Kate has gifted me a new addition to my collection.

(You can read about the others here and here.)

This year I got "Santa on a Cow!"

Isn't she a charmer?

She's right at home with the rest of the crowd.

As if this wasn't enough to thrill her Mom,

Kate also gifted me with a clay "Pinky"

to add to my flock.

If you're a regular visitor here,

you know about "Pinky."

She's right at home with the rest of the flock!

Thank you, darling girl Kate!

This week I'm partying at

Open House Party Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

The Cerulean Warbler-Newest Addition to my Collection!

Did you have a nice Christmas?

Mine has been very nice.

I try to view the holiday season

as extending from Thanksgiving to just after New Year's Day,

when I start "putting it all away."

So, I've got another week to go.

My daughter Kate is visiting from NYC

and will be heading back on Wednesday, weather permitting...

She's packed a lot into her time here from a couple

of days in the mountains with high school friends,

a visit back to UT in Knoxville, with college friends and

dividing her time between my house and her dad's.

They had originally planned a few days to Miami to visit with

family, but that got cancelled because of the weather.

She also managed to find time to make her Christmas gift to me!!!

The Cerulean Warbler!!!

A very timely gift since we've both just finished reading

Jonathan Franzen new novel, FREEDOM and

have spent some time this holiday talking to each other about it.

There's A LOT to talk about too!
This is a very big and complex story
about American family life
against the backdrop of ...
of well, American Life
(i.e. 9/11, the environment, the wars we're in now, etc).

At any rate, the cerulean warbler is an important bird in the novel.
Since it has become somewhat of a yearly tradition for
Kate to make me a "Santa riding an animal" ornament,
(you can read about that here)
this year's choice of animal is very special.
I will now always remember this holiday
as the year we discussed
this excellent book.



It turns out the cerulean warbler was an after thought.
I actually got TWO new ornaments this year.
"Santa riding a chicken" was the first one she made,
then, as a result of our book discussions,
Kate got an inspiration and made the second one!



I am one lucky Mom!
And, life IS good!

I'm linking with My Romantic Home, for Show & Tell Friday.