I feel that I must have told this story before, but I can't find evidence of it now. (It may have been many years ago.)
I had a period in my youth when I more or less banned gnomes of all kind from the Christmas decorations in my own home. But then for quite a few years I had a friend and neighbour with whom I used to exchange the service of watering each others' plants when the other was away on holidays. Her apartment, in contrast to mine, was always full of gnomes at Christmas time. So we were both well aware of our different "taste" when it came to decorations.
Then one year she left a little parcel for me, which turned out to contain a tealight candle holder surrounded by five little gnomes - accompanied by a message that these gnomes were "seeking asylum" with me... Ah well... Put like that, how could I refuse...
Next time it was my turn to water her plants at Christmas time, I had happened to find (in some shop) a "toothpick" pack with tiny Santa figures on them. (Probably meant to be used to decorate food served for Christmas.) So I planted those tiny Santas here and there, in flower pots or where else I could think of, around my friend's flat...
Over a number of years afterwards, around Christmas time, those tiny Santas then kept wandering back and forth between our flats... Sometimes most of them were at my place, sometimes at hers.
 |
| Photo from 2015 |
When I moved to my present apartment in 2008, the majority of them happened to be hibernating in my box of Christmas decorations... And as since then, that friend and I have no longer been watering each other's plants, those ten tiny gnomes have remained staying with me. Well - in my basement storage room 11 months of the year... But invading my kitchen window sill for a few weeks every year around Christmas...
Ssshh - they're still asleep in the Santa House...
But I might wake them up for 4th Advent Sunday!
What a lovely tradition you had. Happy memories.
ReplyDeleteJanice, the fun part of putting up my Christmas decorations is really the memories attached. I don't often add to the "collection" unless it's to replace sth that got broken.
DeleteThe candle holder/toothpick holder with dancing figures somehow doesn't quite look like my idea of gnomes. Perhaps a different cultural definition...and I got quite a kick out of the tiny Santas with possible Asian influence! Off to learn more about gnomes!
ReplyDeleteBarbara - Santa Claus, Father Christmas, elves, Santa's helpers, gnomes, brownies... Big or small, in Swedish we call them all "tomte" - which doesn't make it easy to choose the right name when translating to English... (My impression is that it differs even between US and UK)
DeleteWhat fun the two of you had! Does she still live nearby and do you still keep in touch?
ReplyDeleteGinny, still "in touch", but not frequently. Actually I don't think we ever spent all that much time together just the two of us, even back then - but we had a "gang" of friends in common.
DeleteThat‘s a nice background story to your tiny Tomtes, and one I can not remember having read on your blog before.
ReplyDeleteMeike, it may have been many years ago - or perhaps just one of those things I've had "in mind" to write about before, but never got round to .
Deleteits appropriate the Santa's will come out close to Christmas EVE and now I wonder just how they all fit in that tiny house. but on 2nd thoughts, they are magic and could fit anywhere they want to... Love the story of the plant watering gift exchanges. fond memories.
ReplyDeleteSandra, the perspective in that photo from 2015 is a bit misleading - but part of the magic, I suppose! ;-)
DeleteI love them, especially since you come with a lovely story.
ReplyDelete