We woke to another dreary day with the rain slowly coming down, but the temperature, oh the temperature, it’s near 60ºF or 16ºC. Unbelievable! and Wonderful! Who cares if it’s raining!
Gray skies!
Raindrops on the window.
Red crabapple berries are so colorful on the trees against the gray skies. What a wonderful spring, (I mean late fall) day!
The feeder isn’t too busy this morning: sparrows,…
… a chickadee,
… and a house wren.
My husband started setting up our Snow Village houses yesterday. I don’t have many, but just enough. Part of my collection is my grandma’s church and house which are very special to me.
We don’t put them out every year and we don’t have a set place for them. One year they were in the bay window and other years they’ve been on the buffet in the dining room, other years we will put a house here and there. This year my husband put an old bi-fold closet door on the desk in the family room. It seems to be the perfect size. Here’s a sneak peak at our little village.
I’ve been collecting these houses since the late 1980s. They used to be really really popular, but you don’t see them for sale too much anymore. I remember that it seemed like every Hallmark store or gift shop carried these houses and had massive displays of them.
Here’s a photo of a little tray of Santas that I have on the table in the foyer.
And last, but not least, here are Gina and Lucy sharing their special things as sisters so lovingly do. Gina is letting Lucy hold her Rudolph toy and Lucy is giving Gina her silver ball ornament to hang on the Christmas tree. ❤
Hope you all are having a sweet and peaceful weekend.
Cindy Rice Designs 
Today was sunny and cold. I took a lot of photos of birds on the feeders!
Your village is adorable, I see that the houses are illuminated, it’s beautiful!
Gina and Lucy are very complicit, they are cute! I love Gina’s dress!
Have a good afternoon!
Hi Catherine,
Well, it sounds like it is winter somewhere, by you. My husband added some tiny colored lights today and more trees in the background to look like a forest. I will have to take more photos of my cozy little village. Thank you, Catherine.
Your Snow Village looks like a painting or movie set. It’s great. I hadn’t thought about putting the village-type pieces around the house instead of all together. I don’t have those but i have a Dickens Village and a set of the Missions which may only have been sold in California. Now they are more useable with the great battery-operated light strings available now. Thanks for the tip. Love your photos of the weather. We seem to only have climate here, not weather.
Hi Susette,
It is such a cozy little village; tiny houses have always appealed to me. I think my sister has the Dickens Village houses too. I have never heard of the Missions. The new battery operated LED lights are great. My husband added a strand of tiny colored lights on the trees in the village; it’s so colorful now. Thanks, Susette!
How funny! I have the Missions also as well as a Dept. 56 Snow Village. Haven’t had either out in years. So much time to put up and later take down. But, they do look beautiful as Cindy’s picture shows.
We had 7 doves in a backyard tree this morning. Looking cold and wet as we had some rain overnight.
Great photos and Gina & Lucy look cozy and adorable as always.
Hi Joy,
Now you and Susette have got me wondering about the Missions houses. We didn’t have those here that I know of. What do they look like? I always loved the Snow Village as they reminded me of a 1950s small town. Yes, it is a lot of work and that is probably why they don’t go up every year. If my husband didn’t take the initiative this year they wouldn’t have gotten set up, but I am glad he did.
It’s so sweet how everyone loves to feed and watch the birds, isn’t it?
Thank you, Joy!
The Mission houses were somehow started, probably as a fund raiser by Joe Montana. I think he had kids in 4th grade at the time. In CA kids study California history including Missions. Lots of kids make Mission models etc. for class. They were available at the old Mervyn’s stores. The Missions were falling apart at the time, and many still are, so the funds went to help repair. That’s how I remember it anyway.
Hi Joy,
Oh, I see… sounds like a great idea. Thanks for the information on the mission houses. I’ll bet they’re cute, love that style of architecture.
Your Snow Village is so pretty and your group of Santa’s are cute. I love Gina and Lucy’s dresses!
Hi Regina,
Thanks so much. I am really enjoying the houses this year as it has been at least a couple of years since I have seen them. So happy my husband set this up for us this year. I will have to take more photos to show all of you.
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