Saturday, November 27, 2010

The March of the "Little Men"

It's my big brother's fault.  He started all of this!!! Way back in the late '60's, he was stationed with the Army in Germany.  When he came home for Christmas leave, he brought my Mom her FIRST wooden nutcracker.  Little did we all know, he had started something!
  She started with just one or two every Christmas season....she would see one that she liked, and "he" was added to the group.

After Thanksgiving, we would hear her casually say, "I've got to start getting the little men out."  As the years rolled by, it took her awhile to get them all out of their hiding places, and place them in just the right location.
  Since her passing, I've been the keeper of the little men.  I promised her I would take good care of them.  Now I'm the one who starts after Thanksgiving.....and one by one they find just the right place to stand guard over all the holiday decorations.  This year they are sharing the space with Bruce's groundhog (which will get her Mrs. Claus attire soon) and my crock collection.
  I did start this week....I bring up a few at a time, and carefully climb the ladder to place them on the shelf.  So far, I have brought out 23 of them.   There are many more to come....along with the two 4 foot men.  I'll have to get my kids to bring them up since I can't lift them this year.
  I start therapy on my arm this week.  I'm sure that lifting "little men" will be on my exercise program.  I just got an early start on that part of the program!
  Weaving....you ask????  Yes, I have plenty to do, and I'm sure that will be part of my therapy program, too.  Just like everything else, I do a little bit at a time.  After all, everything in moderation, right????
Happy Weaving (and decorating!)
LouAnn

7 comments:

roxie said...

What a marvelous tradition! Are you adding to the collection as well?

Hope the arm heals soon. Bless your heart!

Linda said...

What a great collection! I am glad you are the new keeper of them. I am looking forward to seeing the ground hog in it's holiday attire!

Maggie said...

Cute!!!

Bonnie said...

A great collection.

Tina J said...

What a special memory keeper!

Theresa said...

LOL! collections do have a way of growing. Ground hog Christmas attire. THAT I gotta see.

Ann said...

I love the story and the tradition!