I’ve packed away the ornaments and washed and stored the Christmas plates, thus I declare that today, January 15th, the holidays are over and the new year may begin. The last of my extended family has been feted and fattened and now, with no more excuses at my disposal, I will attempt to get back on track. 
It used to take me a full day to decorate for the holidays and a full day to pack everything away. Not any more. These days I hang a few treasured memories on a plastic birch tree. 
The cheery group below from Finland remind me of the many times they saved me from mountain trolls dwelling in impenetrable forests around my castle. A gift from a family friend, they’re as old as they look.
This snowman, made from shell, was sent to my children from Hong Kong.
This tin spiral is a toddler magnet. I bought it at a country store in New Hampshire.
My dining table centerpiece is a gold foil wrapped cardboard star which hangs from an archaic candelabra.
Sometimes I jazz my sculptures up with scarves and tams. Below are busts of my children done before my wrist weakened and I could no longer handle clay. 
So, everything’s back to normal and it’s time to get back to work. But not today. Not because I’m honoring Dr. Martin Luther King but because it’s my father’s birthday and he’s been gone for over a decade now. They may have shared the same birthday but Dad would have joined a nudist colony before he’d have joined a protest march.
Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow I’ll get back to work. Any advice as to how I’ll accomplish this miracle?
Saying nothing in particular 
Cccccoffffffffeeeee!!!
Oh! I meant, for starters, perhaps you could commune with Jane Austen.
How about Earl Grey tea?
Your sculptures are lovely, I am impressed!
Darling ornaments, good choices.
It takes me about three hours to holiday the house and about an hour to take it down. I know people who do it for days and days, and it’s pretty, but I can’t live like that.
Happy New Year to you, Jan, late is still better than never!
I knew a family who would decorate every room in their house and leave the decorations up until Easter! Their house always reminded me of the Addams Family mansion..
We leave ours up until January 7, which was my father in law’s birthday! It makes hubby happy…
That’s sweet!
Reblogged this on glynhockey.
Just tell yourself that it’s time to get ready for Easter. :)))
Lol! How about Valentine’s Day? Thanks for the reblog!
Amazing sculptures! 😮 Talents galore, I see. Work is for the weak, doing nothing with your feet up – that’s a struggle!
Thanks MMM! I really enjoy sculpting but it does take a lot of wrist strength. Yup, doing nothing can really take it out of you!
I love the sculptures and agree with Jude. Coffee (or tea) is required.
Many thanks Allie. I have been drinking a lot of tea – not sure it’s working so I’ve switched to chocolate….
The decoration was lovely, especially the elves, and the gold foil wrapped cardboard star!.. (I have to confess you that I still haven´t put away my Christmas stuff: LOL) … I loved seeing the sculptures, you have so much talent… ❤ I officially wish you a Happy New Year, since yours just began 🙂 😉
Thank you A. The elves are very special to me – I’ve had them since I was a child. Amazing that they’ve survived but then the Finns are master craftsmen (and women)
All our decorations are packed away, but I’m dawdling about starting 2018. 😉 I haven’t gotten the get-up-and-go that I feel I need to embrace all the possibilities the new year holds. Good luck getting back to work… take it slowly. My advice.
You’re so right – no use trying to tackle the long list of to-dos all at once. Slow and steady…
Having completed those unbelievable busts of your children, you may now retire forever and rest on your laurels. Manna will be provided by heaven.
Thanks JB – unfortunately a bum wrist makes it impossible for me to sculpt without much pain. So now I attempt to sculpt with words…
What a range of lovely ornaments and decorations! The sculptures are beautiful too and I love the hats on them.
I guess you will just start work when you feel like it’s time. Enjoy!
Thank you very kindly. How sweet of you to stop by and leave such a lovely comment!
Minimalism is beautiful. Love the hats on the sculptures, and your witty memory of your dad. My dad was born on January 3, so my xmas decorations are down by then, and I think of him with love and talk to him as if he was still around for me to call and gab. My daughter’s father-in-law shares the same birthday, so we celebrate with him.
Thanks for the lovely comment! I’ve also picked up the phone thinking I’d call my Dad. He didn’t gab much I’d gab enough for the two of us.
xo
Shells is what was made for the snowman? Cool!
I love the ornaments and your birch tree. Your busts of your grown children are wonderful, Jan! You know I love art and now, just learned you have created art in sculptures.
I would set a timer on my first day back to work. (If I worked in my home. . .) Set it for 3 hours, Tues for 4, etc. . .
I liked your mountain trolls! My interesting havit is to keep my snowmen up until the bunnies and Spring decorations come out.
Perhaps, this freaked out the most recent three week (not a relationship yet) guy . . . Maybe? Sigh!
I dislike the fact I still care what people think. Smiles, Robin