This is Mary. No really.
I don’t THINK she’s as angry as she looks. (Although maybe that song line about “no crying he makes” isn’t accurate)
On Sunday, I walked over to a neighbour’s house for choir practice. I’ve joined an amateur choir and we’re doing a Christmas concert on Saturday. It’s the first time I’ve been in a choir since university days, and I’m really enjoying it. We’re singing lovely songs; a couple of haunting French carols, a mix of traditional and modern. The director has sensibly chosen songs that aren’t too high, so we don’t have to have that shrill drifting into sharp that is such a feature of amateur choirs made up of mostly middle-aged people.
I rounded the corner and saw a truck full of greenery. “How fun; looks like Christmas trees,” I thought, amused, never thinking it would be true. But it was. “This guy delivers our tree every year,” the family explained to me. He dropped 4 off for them to choose from, and never came back, so we are now the proud owner of a fresh, green tree.
It smells wonderful. Apparently it is some sort of cedar, and it’s really aromatic.
We are sorely lacking in the decoration department, but we are making progress. So far, we have two felt ornaments that a friend gave us, and an angel that Ilsa made out of tin foil and Kleenex.
And we have a Lego creche. Abel made it himself, but I’m sure it could be a bestseller.
I think this look makes a nice change from the blonde, bland look.
Here we see the baby Jesus, looking slightly blurry. Not to mention legless.
And the complete nativity scene, including the star that rose geometrically in the east.
So you can see we’re making tremendous progress. I’m sure you’re all in awe.
* what movie is this post’s title taken from?
32 comments
December 11, 2008 at 11:57 pm
jean
I’m not sure what this post was about. I was way too busy being amazed by the snow! How cool.
December 12, 2008 at 12:05 am
Kris
I love the Lego Natvity set. Is that Anakin standing in for Mary?
And how the heck did Ilsa armed only with kleenex and tin foil actually manage to make a rather nice looking angel?!
Oh and the quote, I BELIEVE is from A Miracle on 34th Street, but I admit I’m not 100% on that. Could be y’know Bill and Ted’s Christmas or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (funniest Christmas movie ever!).
But that’s my guess. 🙂
December 12, 2008 at 1:05 am
Wacky Mommy
That quote is from ME cuz I say it all the time. Depending on the season, I sub, “It’s an EASTER (Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day) miracle!”
Love the nativity scene, and the angel. And the snow. You’re kind of overachievers over there, aren’tcha?
December 12, 2008 at 1:06 am
Wacky Mommy
ooooooooooooooooooooooooh and i’m a little blue alien!
December 12, 2008 at 1:12 am
Serena
Is it from “A Christmas Story”?
Ilsa certainly made silk out of a sow’s ear!
December 12, 2008 at 3:59 am
Nora Bee
I’m very impressed. I have not yet attempted the nativity scene thing, and I think it looks great 🙂
December 12, 2008 at 7:20 am
planetnomad
Christmas Story is a closer movie in spirit, but the quote is not from a Christmas movie. There’s a clue for you. And I believe that is Anakin. It was important to Abel that he find a Lego face without stubble drawn on. I supported him in this.
December 12, 2008 at 7:27 am
js
An angry Mary?? You’re messin’ with my theology.
December 12, 2008 at 10:45 am
Mary Witzl
I like to see a Mary with a little more gumption than the insipid all-too-sweet versions you tend to see everywhere. A Mary like that makes me feel like I have more of a shot at being good and saintly.
We’ve been making origami cranes and collecting oranges to stick cloves in, for Christmas ornaments. Wrap them all around with red and green ribbon and they look very nice. Also, thin orange slices dusted with gold glitter and hung from ribbon in the window. All in all, we’re having a citrusy Christmas here.
December 12, 2008 at 11:23 am
Kash
That’s the funniest thing I have ever seen…the nativity scene. The cedar Xmas tree sounds divine…what a nice surprise! Did you ever have any sort of tree in RIM?
December 12, 2008 at 12:44 pm
meredith
It’s snowing on your blog, that is so cool!
December 12, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Aunt Heather
I think this is from Better Off Dead. Am I right?
December 12, 2008 at 3:13 pm
planetnomad
YES! It is from “Better Off Dead,” a classic movie about the horrors of high school. Lane’s mom says it about something totally non-miraculous, like a new garage door or something. Good job, Heather! I knew you’d know it.
December 12, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Kit
What a beautiful tree! and what luck it turning up like that – that is truly a Christmas miracle! Love Ilsa’s angel and the nativity scene is very creative … if a little grey, but then who said Bethlehem was pretty!
December 12, 2008 at 5:00 pm
naomi
paper chains, woman! any color, any size, get the whole family in on the act! all you need is paper, scissors, and some fastening agent-glue, paste, tape, staples, flour and water.
popcorn and cranberries strung together also work well.
can’t wait to see the finished tree!
December 12, 2008 at 5:32 pm
suz
I love the snow and your decorations~how wonderful you have a TREE..have fun!..I thought it was from “wonderful life”..
December 12, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Carrie
I think the quote is from “It’s a Wonderful Life”. . .
and how great that you got a real tree! and, um, there’s those little snowflakes falling through my Comment as I write it. . .very strange. . .
I LOVE the creche. What a new take on a tradition! And, Ilsa’s angel is great. It looks like she’s dancing. . .
December 12, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Carrie
Helps if I read all the comments, to see that you already mentioned what movie the quote is from. . . 🙂
I think Mary’s mad at the innkeeper for keeping them out in the stable. ..
December 13, 2008 at 5:47 am
jolyn
How wonderful to sing. I’ve been thinking myself that I need to find a choir to join again as I also haven’t sung to speak of since college, when I was in a rather serious choir that toured during breaks. I miss it. The singing, that is.
BETTER OFF DEAD. What a classic. As is “A Christmas Story”. We already watched that this year as one of our traditions. Another relatively newer tradition is watching “Elf” with Will Farrell. Have you seen? My 13yo and I still laugh so hard at the scene when “Buddy” guzzles a 2 liter of coke then burps for like a minute straight. When it came out in the theater 3 years ago or so I took him to see it and we both literally fell out of our seats during that scene we laughed so hard. Nothing is funnier to a 9/10 year-old boy than bodily functions.
December 13, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Grateful for Grace
Ok, that Mary is hilarious!! Baby Jesus… umm…. funny too!
I’m so glad you were given a Christmas tree. How awesome is that?!
December 13, 2008 at 7:08 pm
LIB
Necessity is TRULY the mother of invention and you guys are very inventive!
What a blessing to have a tree!
Good for you to join the choir.
Blessings to you all!
December 14, 2008 at 2:22 am
Pam
Very….very …… cute…. all of it…everything!! I’m voting for paper chaines and paper snow flakes….keep us updated…..
December 14, 2008 at 5:35 am
All Rileyed Up
I am so ashamed of myself for not recognizing a Better Off Dead quote!!!!
On another note, this post was superbly hilarious, and while I give full comedic props to the Lego setup, I have to say that this was my favorite part: “so we don’t have to have that shrill drifting into sharp that is such a feature of amateur choirs made up of mostly middle-aged people.”
On another another note, for several years running, my family’s tree topper was a toilet paper tube holding a piece of cardboard cut into the shape of a star, all wrapped in Reynold’s Wrap. Your foil-tissue angel is a beauty.
December 15, 2008 at 7:35 am
shannon
I love the nativity! Can’t wait to see how it all turns out after you get some more ornaments made. Maybe some salt dough ornaments or some crunch spice cookie ornaments? In Jakarta I could make the oranges studded with cloves because cloves were cheap but here I don’t thinks so!
December 15, 2008 at 10:34 pm
LG
Yeah, how di dyou make it snow!
December 16, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Carol
Great creche there! Maybe Lego should put one out?
Merry Christmas!
December 17, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Diane
Love the snow effect–great job Ilsa and Abel on the decorations and nativity. Beth, how could you ever forget such memorable times! Speaking of snow, we are getting a bundle of the real stuff here in Oregon! So far we’ve missed 3 days of school and are missing all kinds of special events because the weather has shut everything down. We’re not used to temps in the teens and 20’s, nor this much snow–predicting a foot of snow in the next few days! Kids are enjoying it outside and I’m enjoying the forced simplicity of the Christmas Season inside with no where to go. I’m catching up on my quilting!
December 18, 2008 at 3:16 am
mmbrotherton
I’ve done nothing but laugh and tell Marc all about this post and then I realized I never told you that all I’ve done is laugh and tell Marc all about this post. Hey-it’s even snowing as I type!!
December 24, 2008 at 7:57 am
Pieces
I absolutely love the creche. How clever! I like the snow on your blog–it matches the snow coming down outside my window.
December 26, 2008 at 4:28 am
Robin
I was going to guess “A Very Brady Christmas”, you know the one where Mrs. Brady loses her voice and she can’t sing at the Christmas program and then….
December 24, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Lego Creche–2009 version « Planet Nomad
[…] eagerly anticipating this year’s version of the lego creche. And it is much improved from last year’s, although I’ll always have a soft spot for the original Mary. Abel got his ginormous lego tub […]
December 7, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Lego Creche—Version 2010 « Planet Nomad
[…] wise men AND the wicked King Herod, might have been my favorite, but I’ll never forget the original Mary (not to mention Ilsa’s attempt to match with her toffee infant) from 2008–she’ll […]