On Saturday, I dismantled the tableau in the Cornerstones Carriage House. The costumes all need to be washed, the polystyrene heads and the manger returned to the loft-space over the Futility Room, the backdrop and T-shaped 'skeletons' [all part of a dead gazebo] are stored away and the lights carefully packed and labelled. And the signs out by the main road have been uprooted and brought home. And the car is parked in inside once more.
But the most delightful thing happened one evening last week. We were in the kitchen preparing food together and the doorbell rang. A gentleman stood there and said "Please excuse me for ringing your bell. I've been in the Close visiting family this week. I just wanted to say thank you for the manger scene. It has quite made my Christmas. I hope you didn't mind me disturbing you and telling you"
I was so touched. Other people have commented on the extra figures added for this year. The sheep and the owl were clearly popular. People have been so positive. I've already started thinking about 2023 - should I perhaps add an angel? And should we have some sort of charity collection tin?
Please don't forget the 4Million Giveaway [here] Add your comment on last Thursday's post and on Tuesday evening I will draw the winner's name.
Your manger scene is so lovely; I'm glad that people are letting you know that they are enjoying seeing it. I think the addition of an angel would be great!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to do about hair - I don't like the idea of a bald angel. The other characters have headdresses. Maybe a tinsel halo would be enough. I do have a long blonde wig (I had it for a fancy dress costume once) but that might look a bit weird...
ReplyDeletePerhpas there are blonde angels! You could also ask readers in the UK to look in chairty or costume shops of a dark colored wig between now and next Christmas?
DeleteI've got a red curly wig ...
DeleteWell, that's lovely that he took the time to show his gratitude! Your nativity scene is so striking and beautiful! I do love seeing it and hopefully you can find a way to add to it. What about yellow/tan wool for an angel's hair?x
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteThat scene is so lovely. I didn't realise that you had an owl as well. An angel would be a beautiful addition. Perhaps you could arrange her wings partly furled over the head or have a coronet of natural leaves? Love Isabel
ReplyDeleteRosie gave me the owl, to watch over the manger
DeleteWow! It's so lovely. I can see why people love it so. That's very nice of you to do that for everyone to enjoy. Just lovely
ReplyDeleteIf others have inflatable Santas and Snowmen, I like to have the original Christmas story
DeleteAngels have frequently been pictured as blonde in major art works so I think your wig would fit in.
ReplyDeleteI have seen many nativity scenes with the Infant Jesus depicted as blonde also to appeal to the Anglo-Saxon standards, when indeed, he was a little Jewish baby probably with the skin tones and dark curly hair of the Middle Eastern people.
The heads of my mannequins are white polystyrene but I painted them a darkish skin tone. Isaac the shepherd has a slightly different tan, and baby Jesus is a paler pink doll
DeleteTiny blessings can really turn into big ones, can’t they?
ReplyDeleteOh yes!!!
DeleteWe lived in England and in the late 1980s people had not yet started to put Christmas lights outside. My husband knew that I was used to seeing them so when the first ones came on the market he bought a number of sets and put them on the house and had two sets spiraling in opposite directions up the trunk of the massive oak tree by the road. One night I heard the clunk of the letterbox and found an envelope on the doormat. It was addressed “To the owners of those magnificent lights” and the note inside said how every night as he drove home when he turned the corner and saw the lights on the tree it lifted his heart and he just had to thank us. I still have that note after all these years and smile every time I see it. We never know how such simple things can mean so much to someone else.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely thing for your husband to do - and such a kind gesture to send a thank you letter
DeleteII, too love your ever growing Nativity tableau. On a years ago episode of Yorkshire Vet, the knitters of Thirsk knitted a delightful and perhaps 2 foot tall donkey. Perhaps in the year ahead, you could get the patterrn they upsed and asked knitters in your area to help make a donkey?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the typos, I s"see" white text on a white backgound and that + invisible!
Hugs!
I confess I had not thought of knitting a donkey!
DeleteHow kind he took the time to thank you. I sent a note to a person who lives several miles south of me on our highway thanking them for their delightful Xmas decor. They filled their yard with the lit inflatable creatures and it cheered me every time I drove by even though I only saw them lit once or twice.
ReplyDeleteA thank you note is always appreciated
DeleteSo good to know that your tableau is blessing others. If one person went out of his way to thank you, think how many others have also enjoyed it! It really is lovely, I increased the size of the blog to have a better look and enjoy it, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteWe had a similar situation at our church. We moved here in 2020 and Covid happened and shut everything down for much of the year. 2021 was weird as well. Well this year we found out that there was a manager scene that has always been set up on the church lawn.
ReplyDeleteNo one ever said anything to us and because we were new, didn't know. A neighbor contacted the previous pastor and said he missed it and so the previous guy let us know.
Long story short about a week after we set it out, we received a very sweet card in the mail with a donation from the neighbor. He said how much he enjoyed seeing that manger scene each year as he walked the dog by the church. And he was making a donation because he was thankful we put it back out!
I said to Dan, "Now we just need him to walk INTO the church!" lol
that was so nice of the gentleman Other than at churches we rarely see nativity scenes around here.
ReplyDelete