Tuesday, December 12, 2006

A more festive approach


these guys came by and ate all the herring salad-thus the look of pale, glass-eyed fishiness.
Really they are a couple of the Santa figures(duh) that I have collected in these past years. One of my most early memories as a child(that ws not horrifying)is that of a very large, real live Herr Christmas who came to my Oma's house when I must have been a toddler in Germany. It is, in fact, one of only two memories I have of that time. He was, of course,huge and had a sack in which he had lumps of coal and twigs for some and gifts of candy for others. I seem to recall that it was chocolate but I think I know this because I was told it, and not from memory. I remember a tree with real candles burning and of course the ubiquitous german spice cookies along with something that you can't get anymore. Little champagne bottles made of chocolate and filled with liquor. You can get some kinds now but not like the ones I remember being imported back then. They were made from a type of chocolate that had a very crispy crunchy texture and with the liquor-they were a festival for the mouth. I think I remember someone telling me that I absconded with a package and slept well that night(tales of things to come)hic!
Anyway I thought that the Santas would make a more festive picture than the hideously pepto-pink herring salad.
I'm waybehind in everything and since I've vowed not to panic anymore(heh)I better get going to the post office, grocery(there's only herring salad left)and bookstore. have fun!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What cute, funny memories. Thanks for posting the Santas--much more appealing than the pink herring!

Janet said...

I like the Santas much better than the pink herring salad! And I love the idea of champagne inside chocolate bottles! What a treat that would be!!

Debra Dixon said...

I have fond memories of Christmas in Germany while a child too! It is really how I remembered Christmas for a very long time, actually.

Anonymous said...

Lovely Santas! My mother-in-law's family was from Finland, and she was very fond of Pickled Herring. We gave her a jar of that and a slab of smoked salmon every year at Christmas time. She didn't have to share it, because no one else cared for it either! :)

PS - thanks for visiting my blog!

Rian said...

Ah, the joys of leftover herring salad. {choke} I used to look at those jars of herring in sour cream and wonder how anyone could eat that stuff and why would they even sell it. But then I met Elsa, a Scandinavian who delighted in such things. No, I never tried it (she never offered). But I would try your pink herring salad, and I think it's terrific that your husband makes it for you. What a guy! I enjoy reading about your childhood in Germany.

Between you and Theresa in Guam, I am learning a lot!

dee said...

Thanks ladies-I am blessed to have such a man. It's something I try never to forget