Interstellar Crib...

Every year, setting up the crib is an experience... when we were kids, the crib was made with this sweet smelling wild reed that dotted the landscape back home. I don't know what they call it, but the scent of the freshly built crib wafting through the house spiked the excitement levels. The reed though it smelled nice and looked great, was a time consuming project that involved dexterity, planning and patience.  So over the years, buying the reed gave way to other forms of constructing the Nativity scene... it became much easier to form a basic structure in the shape of a hut and then put a different spin on it every year. like the one in 2013 and 2012...

Here is this year's crèche, named it the Interstellar crib... cause of those floating specks of light wafting through the time space continuum. You can't see it here, but it sort of looks surreal with only these specks lighting up the nativity scene. 

And with a little bit of light, it becomes more clearer... see the angels, Cooper, Brant and Murph flying through space...

I saw pine cones lying everywhere on the ground in Geneva... I would pick up the good ones and stuff them in my bag. Painted a few of them gold and placed them in the crib, they complemented the curls of wood... and they looked like they could be alien pods. 

This little angel holding a golden star, I saw her in Salzburg and she spoke to me... so I bought her and here she is keeping watch over the Divine Child. 

Another look at the Interstellar Crib... see the speck over Joseph's shoulder casting an ethereal ray over this scene. 

One of the many stars at home... 

The tree peacefully radiating all the wonders of this season, from a corner...

Another star spilling out its light... 

Right up there, on this page, under About me... it's easy to know what Christmas means to me, and this year with my brothers not around this George Strait song says exactly what I want to say too...  that it doesn't matter if family and friends are not around. their memories are captured in our hearts forever like a living Christmas card. Even though we are all scattered, it doesn't matter cause the magic never melts away... Christmas always draws you in. So readers, wherever you are... may the pace, hope, love and joy of this season drag you in and envelope you and may you radiate this peace all your lives, Merry Christmas, everybody...