Christmas Craft Fair and a Road Trip

Saturday was a good day. We started it by attending a Christmas craft fair in the morning. The thing we like best about this craft fair is that the facility that hosts it makes large, luscious cinnamon buns that are light and fluffy without being too sweet. One of the buns is big enough to serve two people. We bought a half a dozen to bring home and enjoy over several days.

The handmade crafts are great, too...there are gourd crafts, leather crafts, carved wood crafts, Christmas ornaments made from recycled quilts, handmade jewelry, and lot of other things. But the craft that drew my attention this year was the snowmen Christmas tree ornaments made from thin slices of wood, painted and detailed, and sporting bright ribbon bows. I bought several to give as token gifts to the women in our family who will be visiting during the next couple of weekends. Besides the Christmas tree ornaments, the young woman crafter makes tabletop snowmen, and big wood-slice snowmen that stand about two feet tall. All are reasonably priced, and were selling like umbrellas on a rainy day.

Late Saturday afternoon, we made a road trip to another town that has wonderful Christmas light displays, and an outstanding drive-through living nativity. The church that sponsors the living nativity has built the town of Bethlehem, and dozens of church members in costumes roam the streets of the city.

There are lots of animals in the city, too, including horses, donkeys, sheep, and goats, but what amazed us most is that the church had somehow acquired two camels for the display. The city is very busy with Roman soldiers riding on horseback, people plying their wares, weaving baskets, or leading their camels around, etc.

An angel, white robes glowing in bright light, seems to hover over the shepherds. The Three Wise Men are resting around a fire, on their way to visit the Christ Child. A camel is staked nearby. Mary and Joseph are shown in two places...being told there is no room at the inn, and then in the stable.

King Herod, seated in grand style on the portico of his temple, is represented, too.

The living nativity event is offered over the course of two weekends, for three hours each night, and it draws a constant stream of vehicles. It was well worth the time we spent creeping along in line, though, to see this excellent display.