Meanwhile in The Christmas Village

I survived the 9 hours of Jury Selection! 100 people were summoned, 80 showed. 14 were finally picked after a long day.

I am not discussing the case as it was disturbing. 

I know there is evil in this world and one does not even have to watch the nightly news to discover it. 

Instead I am going to turn to my Christmas Village tonight....

I put up my Christmas Lego Village and came up with a fun idea. I'm trying to take a photo a day of the Mini-me and Mini-Charlie walking about the village and taking photos of things going on.

The story is that the Mayor of the Village hired Mini-me to take photos of the Village for his Tourism Brochure that he wants published next year.

Whoops! I wonder if the Mayor will be happy with this one! [UM, that IS the Mayor in the outhouse!]

And of course the Village offers a groomed cross country skiing trail complete with very friendly polar bears.

The elves let me in on their secret of how they get SO much work done in such a short time. Why not have a Merry Alien to help decorate tall trees and move large packages!

I bet you thought it was all magical!

There is a skating rink in the Village that they are thinking of expanding for next year!
Um I wonder if the snowperson was afraid Charlie would leave him with some yellow snow!

Mini-me and Charlie went to observe the local band playing and singing Christmas Carols in the town square.

[Do you see who showed up to the Caroling???]

You know. Life as a Mini-me is so much simpler and joyful. 

Decorate Stuff

Just a random shots of some ornaments on my Christmas Tree Chair and scenes from the chair itself. The ornaments on the tree itself are all equine themed.

I will often change things around when the mood strikes me.

 The Winged Pegasus.

On the chair itself...

I have a few more but just got distracted by other fun ideas.

Sometimes characters just show up and I just have to make a go of it.

You never know who is going 

to sit on the chair next.

I finally started to set up my Lego Winter Village.
Seems mini-me and mini-Charlie are about to 
meet Bad Santa!

Just for fun.

This is not the Christmas Chair but a scene on one of the cabinets I built earlier this year.

Nothing much going on here other than snow, cold, and more snow and more cold.

I was plowed out twice this week! And we have been snowshoeing.

PS: my kids used to call Decorations ... Decorate. Thus the way I define it!

Making fake snow?

 

I wanted some snow in my North Pole photos, so I read up on purchasing fake snow. It is plastic bits which I didn't think too highly of. It would be like glitter... all over the place and hard to clean up. I'd find bits of plastic snow for the rest of my life in this house.

So I clicked on a link that said DIY your own snow with 2 ingredients.

Shaving cream and Baking Soda!

Since I just purchased a box of Baking Soda I thought I'd try it. [Hah, and you thought I bought it for baking!]

I followed the directions and made some 'snow' that feels cool to the touch. 

It was a bit messy on the hands, but rinsed off easily and smelled good. When done with it, I brushed it back into a container and wiped up the residue. I rinsed off the Legos and we were good to go again.

Below is my first try at playing with the snow.

Not a snow photo. But I can tell that Santa is checking the list and they have upgraded their system to include computers!

Since I do get out for some fresh air each day, I take Mini-me and Mini-Charlie in my pocket. Mini-me had to change clothes so she'd be prepared for the cold weather.

Charlie and I often see wildlife while out on our adventures. These nice striped fellows are ones we leave alone!

With the temps changing from deep freeze to warm and back again, we are careful at the creek.

Thin ice!

In the evenings while hubby takes his after supper nap to digest and get ready to watch something on the stupid smart TV, I take time to play a bit. 

More fake snow. Batman doesn't look so happy at the Christmas Lodge. Is it the snow that fell on his shoulder and head?

He is looking down in the street below at the activity in the Town Square. 

And down on the street there seems to be some things going on. I mean, snowmen are harmless, right?

The fake snow [shaving cream and baking soda] looks pretty good!

We are going into a very cold spell on Thursday with wicked wind chills. 

Time to break out the face covering and goggles.

Cleaning and Building

 What better way to fight off the hunter's blues than to engage in something totally different. You all know that my husband fights depression and has had it for all the years we've been together.

Physically he cannot hunt any more. It used to be the 9 days of the year that he'd go off into the woods and sit quietly by himself. He'd come back tired or cold, but always in good spirits. Often he'd tell me in great detail of all the things he saw while in his place of wonder.

2013 Photo:

I pulled out the Holiday Main Street Set set and started to sort items. After breakfast, while I was doing the chores, ....some one....
starting sorting pieces on his own.

He loves to find the Minifigures right away and try to put them together. His hands shake a lot, so sometimes he gets it and sometimes I return to find a Minifig with no head or wig laid out on the table.

He laughs, he smiles, he grins, and even participates in the silliness.

Ask him if he does it? He will emphatically deny everything. It is childish and beneath his Warrior Mind.

Yet, he delights in adding to the his own narrative to the story unfolding in front of us.

"That shop keeper lady, she looks grumpy. Why is she so grumpy?"

I don't think she is grumpy, she is smiling but her glasses may make her look grumpy?

"No, she doesn't have any customers. That is why she is Grumpy."

Oh...of course!

"What if that train thing had a run away? The conductor guy isn't looking!"
Hubby reaches over and gives it a little push. The trolley runs into some Lego people. 

"Uh OH!"

No Lego minifigs were hurt in this dramatic scene....

I went upstairs to put something away and ended up working in the spare rooms to unclutter my self made messes. I sorted out old clothes I hadn't worn in ages, got rid of an old tattered blanket[s]. Disposed of junk I was saving to make junk dioramas. Who needs extra bottle caps when I am always getting them? Sorted the action figures, some Legos, arranged the Teddy Bears, dusted,...

and filled a huge contractor bag full of stuff I needed to get rid of. There is so much more to do both upstairs and in the tiny basement. 

The basement project will start after Thanksgiving when I start sorting things out for the Christmas Chair.

Meanwhile, on the table it seems that Santa is anxious to get started on his own projects. Looks like he hired the Construction worker to help build a tree.

I'm not sure why he is using a wrench though.

Hubby really had a joyful day and we topped it off with Homemade Lasagna.

How Lego Minifigs Saved Christmas

There sure was a deep freeze going on after the Big Snow. Santa's big red truck had gotten stuck and of course so many helpers showed up to get him going again.

Then Mz. Clause came along and helped everyone celebrate just outside the Christmas Village.

After the party, Santa and a couple of his elves decided to go for a walk. They ignored Mz. Clause's warning about the cold cold weather and told them to behave and stay home.

Of course they never listened and they went out. And they got a bit cold!

Thank goodness there was Bobba Fett and some elves that came to the rescue.

Even the Mandolorian came to help with his lazer gun.

Happily, Santa and his helpers were rescued from the ice.

Mz. Clause came by with her newly rigged up - super powered- sleigh.

She had convinced a Thestral to assist her flying reindeer.

Santa had a better idea. You do know that Santa was originally from Iowa and had a huge farm right???

I mean, who doesn't know that?

His solution?

Well. He paraded his new John Deere all Wheel Drive Flying Tractor and Spreader through the Village with Mz. Clause in the back.

And....

...that is how Lego folks saved Christmas.

Don't believe any other stories you've heard.

I know this one is true, I photographed it.