Christmas Preparations

Yesterday we celebrated the second Sunday of Advent. I put up the Nativity--the traditional figures and also figures of children bringing eggs, musicians, dogs, cats, geese and a fox. I set up the Christmas village on the mantel. My husband told me that he liked the village. I found a good spot on the hutch for cloth carolers and Santa and his rein-dog with presents galore in a boat. I have two animated Santas--an old one of my mother in law's who rings a bell and looks scary with his red eyes and another one who sips hot chocolate and a cookie. I set up pine cones in a fireside basket, not by the fireplace but up on a shelf. Today I put stamps on the Christmas cards, so they are ready to go out, and picked up some candy for the stockings.