The Santa Collection

It has been over a week since I cleaned off the shelves and prepared to display the Santa collection. I got that done the next day, but I have been too busy doing the rest of the decorating, and going to pro and youth soccer matches and resting from wearing myself out, so I am just now catching up enough to begin posting my preparations for the holidays.

I thought I'd feature a few of the special Santas.

 The mantle holds a series wooden figures hand carved by a fellow teacher in the district and given to Tom years ago when he was kindergarten teacher and later soccer coach to their son. 

 More hand crafted Santas, left to right: Named "Terry Claus",  Terry and his Canada goose are from Whidbey Island; the Santa with birds was one I collected from a Christmas shop;  the Santa with toys came from a little wood carver's shop in Rothenburg, Germany, a magical medieval walled city. He holds a bundle of sticks for the naughty kids; last, a Santa in his "woolies" with a sea gull on his staff, carved from cottonwood bark and found at a craft fair in a small town in up state New York, that we just happened upon as we were driving west to Niagara Falls. 

 

 The Yule tomte recalls our Scandinavian heritage. He will take care of your farm and livestock out in the barn if you are good to him, and perhaps leave gifts, but he is easily offended, and you might  get those sticks he is holding if you are not careful. 
 This shelf holds wooden Santas I collected early on from Christmas craft shows. 

 Just some of the themed Santas: a gardener, a Sami, a Norseman, and a baker. 

 The Saint Nicholas on the left is ceramic and was made by one of my aunts, years ago. The other is a real Saint Nicholas. 

 This Father Christmas wears an antler candle crown.

 Tom especially likes this old papier mache, rolly polly elf Santa because his mother had one from her childhood that always sat under their tree. His sister has it, so we found another in a little antique shop. 

These tall Santas are beautifully dressed. Two were gifts and I couldn't resist the green robed one. 

The house decorations are now completed. I'll be posting more as I can. Tomorrow we are off on our Christmas shop field trip, and at some point I really need to start my cookie baking!