I'm writing today from the kitchen in my parents' house in Vermont. My mom and I are cooking away - cookies, lasagna, breakfast for tomorrow, bread pudding - everything so it will be ready for when the rest of the fam arrives this afternoon.
I was just sitting here telling my mom about how proud I am that each and every one of my presents this year were handmade by local artists, including all of the artists featured in my holiday gift guide. And it made me remember that actually, once upon a time a handmade gift by a local artist ruined Christmas for me.
Picture this: My brother and I tearing down the stairs to open our Christmas gifts. He is 10, and I'm 9, still believing that Santa himself came down our chimney with presents in a sack. Santa's gifts are wrapped in Santa wrapping paper (to distinguish themselves from the gifts from our parents), and I open one up to reveal a ceramic mug handmade and painted by a well-known local Vermont artist, Susan Leader. I turn to my mom and say, "Santa knows Susan Leader?" Slowly, throughout the day, it dawns on me and the whole story unravels...
{ the mug that stole Christmas }
It's funny to think back now and realize that it was that moment, and a handmade gift - that I value so much now - that changed Christmas for me forever.
Will be back this weekend to reveal the gift I made for my family! Until then, Merry Christmas!
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awwh!! Thats quite sad!! She should have said... I told him how much you loved him!
ReplyDeleteMy parents used to ban me from the bedroom upstairs because they had to telephone santa to discuss a few things incase they bought presents he had already made.
Apparently my dad said he used to throw half eaten carrots around the garden to make me think the reindeers had been. He told me yesterday that when i was about 4 i saw big boot prints too and nearly wet myself lol
i mean her.. loved her... the artist
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