Here lately ceramic Christmas Trees are all special again. The trees were highly popular years ago and almost every home had one. As early as the 1940s, the trees were being made but their popularity hung around for several decades. I remember how I marveled at the one that stood on the small round table at my grandparents' home. We did not have one on the farm so this was a true novelty to my young eyes. It was beautiful with its little glowing lights and shiny ceramic finish. My aunts also had them and I know Mom would have if the farm income would have afforded it. Later, after my grandparents passed, the tree made its way to the farmhouse and Mom cherished it. I do not know whatever became of the thing after she passed but I truly wished it had wound up at the Little Bayou House. The trees fell out of vogue during the 1970s and became a quirky thing that the "older generation" did. No one wanted the things anymore. I was one of the weird ones who still wished for one.
A few years ago, one of my favorite aunts passed and my cousin graciously offered the ceramic tree to me. I was honored and have proudly displayed the tree every year. The little candles and birds shine brightly causing me to admire its beauty. Then, another favorite aunt moved and I was given her larger version. I was tickled to have two of the trees. This one has a music box hidden in the stand which makes it special!
Now, suddenly the trees are back in style! They are coveted by people everywhere. Some go for as high as hundreds of dollars and are sold out in no time. I have no need for any from this new round of interest as I have two of the originals!
I actually make the Christmas Trees. I have the ceramic mold and kiln. They are easy to make but the little "lights" are difficult to find at times. (Not the inner light fixture but the tiny plastic glow lights seem to be scarce at times.) Now the funny part about this whole ceramic Christmas Tree craze is that although I make the trees for others, I have yet to keep one of my own creations. Those trees were not what caught my eye as a child. The two from my aunts are what mean the world to me. Still, since this new found fad of wanting an old time fad is all the rage, perhaps I should start creating the trees on a regular basis. There's money in those trees!
For some strange reason back in the day, Son's favorite color was blue....only he called it brown. He outgrew that once he had fully learned his colors but, still, blue was a favorite. Whenever he painted anything, it was a variation of blue. Mom had given him a concrete frog when he was just a toddler and he toted that six pound critter everywhere. While other kids were carrying their stuffed doggies or plastic dolls, this four-year-old toted Grandma's concrete frog. When the weather took a toll on the yard ornament, he repainted it. Instead of the original froggy color, he painted it blue. I still have a blue frog in my yard. But the frog was not the only work of art done in blue.
I always encouraged artistic endeavors of my kids. It did not matter whether it was making homemade paper from peanut shells with my oldest son, decoupaging dried flowers onto boxes with my daughter or doing stained glass work with my youngest son. Art and creativity was a big part of their childhoods and it has stuck even now into their adult years. Ceramics was an art medium that we all enjoyed. It was those ceramics that got the wild creative juices flowing! Son (the younger) seemed to enjoy being creative with his works of art. The piece in question is a duck....and it is blue. (Of course. Did you expect anything different?) It is this blue duck that tugs at the heartstrings. The whole time he was glazing the ceramic piece, Son kept telling me that the duck was for me. "It is a special duck." he informed me. Oh, and did I mention?...It is blue.
Lately, I have been giving a lot of the treasures from the Little Bayou House to my daughter for her new abode. She is hoping to have a "Coastal theme" in her home so what better place to get stuff for free than Mom's house. The Little Bayou House is a veritable flea market of Coastal decor. One of the items she took home recently was a life-sized duck replica. This was a beautifully hand-painted duck that her dad got for her years ago. Now the duck has arrived at its permanent home and I could not be happier. There is, however, one piece of decor that I refuse to let go. It is blue. Yep, the blue duck shall remain at the Little Bayou House because "it is special"....and it is blue.
A number of years ago, I came in possession of my first ceramic kiln and a ton of molds. I was not sure how to even begin with this new endeavor since the only "pottery" I had ever attempted were things that Margie, my cousin, and I did when we were kids. Those probably do not even count as pottery for that matter. We used clay that we dug from the edge of the Bay, shaped it into some weird bowls and placed on the pier to dry. Our creations were never seen again. Hmmm? That does not say much for our budding careers as potters! Anyway, the kiln sparked an interest and a good many shapes soon took place. Keep in mind that these are poured ceramics and not hand-shaped pottery. I would so love to some day have a go at a potter's wheel! The self-taught course in ceramics proved to be fun so we purchased a larger kiln. (The smaller is now used for glass fusion.)
One of my projects was a large Nativity Scene. This set was complete with not only the Holy Family but, also, kings, shepherds and animals. All of the ones I had seen before were either done in only white or with harsh colors and highly glossy glazed. I wanted neither. My set was to have a softer more natural appearance so I opted to do a dry-brush technique. It was quite the undertaking but, once complete, has become a favorite. Each year during the holidays, the set is carefully unwrapped and assembled on the shelf. My unceasing imagination puts me in the stable with the Holy Family. There, I ponder just how Mary did it. The strength and courage to undertake such an incredible duty is not found in most folks.
To this day, this Nativity is special to me. I hope some day that it will be passed through the family as something "Mom" made. Hopefully, my kids will think it is worth keeping.
