This year, because we moved to Tennessee, we had to switch up our routine regarding holiday planning and visiting.
Since Eric had a workshop in Connecticut the first week of December, we decided to spend Thanksgiving in New Hampshire and stay there all week to visit with family. We ended up being away from home for two weeks.
But doing our “holiday visiting” over Thanksgiving worked out quite well. While staying at my in-laws, I got to help Eric’s mom decorate her home and Christmas tree.
Here she is, putting on one of her many ornaments. And of course, like clockwork, when I take out the camera, Chance has to find his way into the scene. He quickly maneuvered his way to the foot of the tree and sat at MomJo’s feet — As if to let everyone know, and to document, that he was completely responsible in the adornment of this tree.
And while unpacking MomJo’s boxes of holiday decorations, I found a priceless treasure. Or rather, two priceless treasures. Below a few santa figurines were these two sweet fragile and old (and when I say old I mean old) homemade ornaments.
Who made them? Why our very own Mr. Basketmaker. No, not recently. When he was a little boy (that’s why I said “old”… that had to have been a very loooooong time ago! te hee). I learned that it wasn’t for a school project or the result of any instruction. MomJo said one day he decided to sit down at the table and make a couple ornaments for their tree.
So he grabbed his little scissors, some markers, tape, cotton balls and of course, the main ingredient — discarded Devil Dog boxes for his canvas. It appears that, with these little creations, he was meticulous and inventive at a very early age! Look at all this detail! And his construction abilities with tape on the back of these. Like a true artist — underneath it all it may not be so pretty but when you flip it over, they’re a work of art!
MomJo guessed he was around 8 or 9 when he made these. I think they’re so adorable and thought I’d share with all his fans. I love how he cut out individual limbs and placed in front and back accordingly. I think most kids his age back then would have simply cut out the entire shape in one shot. And I especially like how he was reclaiming trash and creating “upcycle art” decades, and I mean decades, before it became trendy.
However, I’m sorry to announce that they are not for sale. No matter what the offer, they are priceless. 🙂
