The Feast of the Magi...and So Much More!

Happy 2016, all ~ only slightly belated!

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Such a busy December...I really don't want it all to be over, do you?

(Except that after January, I really don't want any Winter,

so Mother Nature needs to hurry...if there's going to be, you know...

Snow!

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The Feast of the Magi, January 6th...

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I have probably written about this trio before, but I will again ~

just in case!

My Mom got these three Wise Men from the 1968 Sears Wish Book...

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 (If you are of a *certain age*, you will really enjoy this website...

It's called "Wishbook Web", and you can get to it by clicking here.)

I went through it page-by page..."I had that, and that, and that..."

But, I digress ~

My Mom paid a whopping $4.94 for the Wise Men,

and I, in my 11-year-old sophistication, thought they were about the

gaudiest things I had ever seen.

What was my Mom thinking? That gold, those rhinestones!

Those weird, un-Christmasy colors...(it was 1968, though).

Tacky.

Now I LOVE them, I absolutely do. 

(Mama had good taste, after all...)

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One of our traditions for today used to be making "Camel Cookies"

with our youngest (a junior in college, now), 

using a copper camel-shaped cutter made by his dad...

This year, I'm just going to write about the Camel Cookies.

(If you'd like to read my 2013 post about them, you can find it here.)

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Tallulah says she isn't ready to take the Christmas tree down!

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Now I have to tell you a little about the rest of my super-busy month!
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Chicago!

We live eight hours away (my daughters, six),

and although I have been through the airport there,

I had never actually been to the city...and now I have been twice,

in as many months!

Our last trip, to celebrate my youngest daughter's birthday,

was especially festive with all the decorations everywhere...

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"Here there be Dragons..."

We stayed at the historic Drake Hotel this time...

dragons are its logo, and even these handsome beasties were

decked out in red and green...

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The florist's delightful window in the hotel...

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The huge tree inside the lobby...

really magnificent!

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The culinary staff created this replica of The Drake in Gingerbread...

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We explored a lot!

If a door was unlocked, it was fair game...

The Gold Coast Room, the morning after a fancy soirée ~

From www.famoushotels.org  ~ "In those early days, Chicago's WGN's first
radio broadcasts were aired from atop The Drake, where the fabulous big bands
of that era played in the Gold Coast Room."



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We also looked around on the purportedly haunted tenth floor,

but didn't see a soul. (Sorry! ;) 

You can read about it here, though...

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The view from our room, looking out towards Lake Michigan...

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The main destination ~ The Music Box Theatre where

"It's a Wonderful Life" was playing...

I've seen a lot of classic movies "on the big screen"

with my daughters, but the "interactive" audience-participation during this showing

was a different sort of experience...sort of like "Rocky Horror"

except with George Bailey instead of Dr. Frankenfurter!

(Bell-ringing when Clarence was on-screen

*Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings* ~ hissing when

the dastardly Mr. Potter showed up, and general encouragement for George...)

Next time, we'll know what to expect!

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We also visited the Museum of Science and Industry...

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You know, I didn't think I cared much for LED lights until

I saw this 45-ft. tall delight in the main hall of the museum...

now I have to have a (second) tree with LEDs next Christmas!

Most of the lights were stationary, with just a few twinkling...

Fabulous!!

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Flying-machines overhead...

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This was the main reason for the museum visit...

the girls wanted their Fairy-Mom to see Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle...

and it did not disappoint! ("Early-Fairy"...I think that's my style, as well!)

Click here to read more about it...

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Amazing!

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And then, back home...

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I finally got a "Tom & Jerry" eggnog/punch bowl (and cups) on eBay!

I have wanted one since I saw "The Great Mr. Nobody" (1941)...

this set is from 1941 as well, so I thought that was pretty neat!

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 (They are pretty common, but difficult to find one with the gold trim intact...)

The silver ladle was from my grandparents' 50th anniversary in 1966...

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From our local Susie's Bakeshop...yumm!

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A couple more family traditions... Daddy's was candy canes...he brought them

over every year, as soon as we got the tree up, to put them on with the grandkids...

My grandpa's was giving out little bags of gold-foil-wrapped coins ~

I remember finding some that my Mom had saved (from Grandpa, her father-in-law),

and asking what they were...when she told me they were chocolate, I couldn't fathom why

she hadn't EATEN them! (They were chocolate!) 

So, a nod to both, here in my little display...watched over by my little chalkware

Tomten... (uh, oh...he also has a little bag of COAL there...good thing it's actually

chocolate, as well!)

What family traditions do you all keep?

Wishing all of you a wonderful 2016!

Love,
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