All I Want For Christmas Is My Own Reindeer

 I love reindeer.

 Not just the ornaments I display around Christmas ,

 but real live reindeer.

Ever since I sat across the reindeer exhibit with my sheep in The Animals Of The World barn at our state fair, I have wanted real reindeer. I have been researching them for years , and maybe, just maybe I can convince Santa we should have at least a pair of reindeer ?

Oh well, I think that probably won't happen, but I do have a little wether ( castrated male sheep ) with 4 horns I have named Blitzen. He is very friendly. I' m going to make him a nice harness and train him for Santa. ( Note to self : start looking for small sled and keep a few more wethers. Comet, Cupid, Donder...)

"Now Dasher ! Now Dancer ! On Comet ! On Cupid ! On Donder and Blitzen ! To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall ! Now dash away ! Dash away ! Dash away all !  ~The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

Reindeer ?

My husband & our grandsons. What ? You thought they were reindeer? Well, the grandchildren are sure my husband is Santa Claus. This is such a fun time of the year for us. "Don't expect too much of Christmas Day. You can't crowd into it any arrears of unselfishness & kindliness that may have accrued during the past 12 months." Oren Arnold

Table-Top Snow Scene : Christmas Decorating

Our dining room table takes up a large part of our living space( by design ). A large table allows more people to sit together as they share a meal & fellowship. Because the table dominates so much space I like to decorate it too."Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." Washington Irving

Often a pretty tablecloth, candles,or the food itself are the best centerpieces, but around Christmas I like to make a miniature world of Christmas and winter scenes to delight my grandchildren and myself. "The best gifts around any Christmas tree; the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." Burton Hillis

The miniature forest scene on the table is part of our home's Christmas village scene, carried on into other parts of the house.You can see our little village on the buffet from here.

Santa's camp is in the little forest on the table too. ( He looks like my husband.) This is the table-top decor for this Christmas season, and one that allows little children and big kids alike to imagine a Christmas forest and even rearrange the figures if it suits them. Kind of an interactive table scene.( Don't forget the give-away, details posted in the side-bar.) "My idea of Christmas , whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" Bob Hope