In honor of the BUSIEST Christmas ever, Thomas offers his own version of a favorite seasonal tune:
(Here, the yule log burns away the sorrows and sins of the previous year and sparks good luck and fertility for the next...or at least that's what Mommy told me.)
(Mommy cooked on the hearth all day; Daddy, Mamaw, and I joined her for the closing ceremony: burning the yule log, caroling, and sipping on some special recipe wassail (Note to Mommy: Don't make wassail in a tarnished copper kettle!)
ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
A KINDERMUSIK PARTY
(Here are all my Kindermusik friends)
("Your belly's not fat enough, Santa!")
ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
AN ORGANIC CHRISTMAS TREE
(Here we are with our friend, Curtis.
He makes chairs and also owns an organic Christmas tree farm.)
(Daddy wields his mighty pruning saw!)
ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
HANDMADE AND FAMILY HEIRLOOM CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
(Here I am helping Mamaw hang the Christmas elf
that belonged to her mother)
(Here I am hanging "El Raton,"
the mouse ornament Daddy made for me last year)
(Here are two miniature baskets,
made of white oak by George McCollum of Athens TN.
Mommy says they make beautiful Christmas ornaments;
I say they make perfect jelly bean holders!)
ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
A PHILLIPS FAMILY CHRISTMAS
(Here I am with all my relatives from Poppy's side of the family.
Standing, L-R: Aunt Bobbie, Uncle Shane, Cousin Jackson, Poppy, Daddy;
Sitting, L-R: Mamaw and Cousin Reese, Granddad, Mommy and me)
ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
A KLOSTERMAN FAMILY CHRISTMAS
(Daddy's family visited the week before Christmas. We had a great time, but Mommy's dreams of a hearth-cooked turkey went up in smoke, literally. Mommy and Daddy had everything ready: a freshly butchered heritage breed Narrangasett turkey, tin reflector oven, seasoned oak firewood, and a beautiful pair of andirons, newly made by our blacksmith friend, Jamie Tyree--but the fireplace wouldn't cooperate. After setting off the smoke alarm, they finally decided to roast the bird the "old-fashioned way" (as Mommy says)--in the oven. I don't really care for turkey, so I didn't know the difference. My favorite was the cranberry sauce, which Mommy made in her antique yellowware mold! In the picture: From L-R: Grandpa Klosterman, Mommy and me, Daddy, Cousin Chase, a very enthusiastic Cousin Carstyn, Aunt Michelle, Uncle Brad, Aunt Kim, Cousin Olivia, Cousin Rae, Uncle Scott, and Grandma Lynne.)
ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
A PAIR OF CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS
(Here my cousins and I are in our matching pj's from Grandma Lynne.
We got fuzzy socks too!)
ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
A NASTY VIRAL RASH (Mommy got it too)
(But it didn't stop us from opening gifts!)
ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
A BOWL OF YUMMY APPLES AT AUNT JUSSIE'S
(Here I am talking apples with my cousin, Cooper)
("Hey Cooper, maybe we'll have the candy instead!")
ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
NESTING TIME WITH BEAKER
(Mommy says this is good for the soul.)
ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
A SET OF PRESIDENTIAL BLOCKS
(Wait a minute! Those are James Madison's birth and death dates, not Thomas Jefferson's! Mommy had to order a new set of blocks.)
(But I got a really cool Buffalo drum to make up for the dud blocks.)
ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TWOO WUV GAVE TO ME...
PLAY TIME WITH PAPAW J.D.
(Hey! That train's name is Thomas too!)
And that's all folks...Whew, I'm tired!
(Daddy's family visited the week before Christmas. We had a great time, but Mommy's dreams of a hearth-cooked turkey went up in smoke, literally. Mommy and Daddy had everything ready: a freshly butchered heritage breed Narrangasett turkey, tin reflector oven, seasoned oak firewood, and a beautiful pair of andirons, newly made by our blacksmith friend, Jamie Tyree--but the fireplace wouldn't cooperate. After setting off the smoke alarm, they finally decided to roast the bird the "old-fashioned way" (as Mommy says)--in the oven. I don't really care for turkey, so I didn't know the difference. My favorite was the cranberry sauce, which Mommy made in her antique yellowware mold! In the picture: From L-R: Grandpa Klosterman, Mommy and me, Daddy, Cousin Chase, a very enthusiastic Cousin Carstyn, Aunt Michelle, Uncle Brad, Aunt Kim, Cousin Olivia, Cousin Rae, Uncle Scott, and Grandma Lynne.)
