A Look Back — Christmas Thru The Window Glass

December 20, 2015December 19, 2015 / jrmilson / 2 Comments

The last few days before Christmas! Santa’s sleigh is in the shed for its scheduled maintenance check and going over. The reindeer are out on the training ground for their final pre-flight practice and run thru. Elves are working overtime finishing, polishing, prepping and wrapping. Mrs. Claus is busy in the kitchen keeping everyone fed and on their toes as the clock ticks down to Christmas Eve. Gallons of hot chocolate!

Vintage Santa Claus in his Workshop Making Toys

How are things going for you? In a rush to get ready? Shopping yet to be done? Gifts to wrap? Cookies and treats to be made? Final decorations and stockings to be hung? Things can get hectic this time of year.

I’m sure other folks my age remember the old-fashioned holiday window displays in the department store windows. New dolls and toys on display. Bicycles, BB Guns and Baseball Gloves. Red wagons. Teddy Bears. Model trains running thru tunnels, across bridges and round and round. Airplanes flying thru the air. Cold little noses pressed to the window glass to get the closest look. Wished-for presents and dreams just out of reach! Call me old-fashioned, but I miss these.

Famous-Barr’s five-level train layout in 1952 St. Louis. — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper

Christmas Window Dreaming– photo by A. Aubrey Bodine – 1948

Vintage Christmas Store Window Display

As a kid, the display windows seemed to make Christmas even more special. It was a highly anticipated trip all in itself to visit the department stores downtown at Christmas to see the display windows and visit with Santa Claus. Lunch out at the cafeteria nearby when home cooking was the norm and dining out reserved only for very special occasions. And the yearly trip to see the store windows and Santa Claus qualified as a very special occasion indeed!

A Visit with Santa Claus

I know you’re busy so won’t keep you. Just taking this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all the Joys, Happiness and Peace of the Holiday Season! Maybe you better go check the kids now. Looks like they are getting their own preparations in order! — Jim (and Red!)

Vintage Photo- Little Child with Christmas Tree

Little Girl with Bare Bottom Pinning Her Stocking

On Chimney Watch

Vintage Christmas Tree Loaded with Tinsel

A Visit with Santa Claus

Joyeux Noël ! ¡Feliz Navidad! Buon Natale! Frohe Weihnachten! Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Poem — “The General Store Christmas”

December 16, 2015December 16, 2015 / jrmilson / 6 Comments

“The General Store Christmas”

A present for his father.

A gift for his mom.

A dolly for sister Susan.

A Tonka truck for brother Tom.

A hairbrush for Grandma Betty,

A Sunday tie for Grandpa Bill.

Milk-bones for little Petey,

With a doggie sweater for the chill.

But what to give a horse,

For whom he cared and fed?

Just the perfect present —

A shiny apple for Ol’ Ned!

He’d worked for many weeks,

Saving money for Christmas cheer.

Finding all the perfect gifts,

For those he held so dear.

He’d waded thru the snow,

To Rosebud’s General Store.

Stacking presents on his sled,

Til he couldn’t fit no more.

Heading home, away he went,

Across the countryside.

Pulling his gifts and treasures,

And filled with love and pride.

Awash with Christmas spirit,

He sang happily and free . . . .

“We wish you a Merry Christmas,

And a partridge in a pear tree!”

A Christmas Poem — “Love’s Candle in the Night”

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

“Love’s Candle in the Night”

She placed a candle on the windowsill,

Flickering soft and gentle light.

Waiting for love’s return,

On a dark and snowy night.

Christmas lights twinkled,

Glittered ribbons sparkled silvery bright.

While softly sifted snow fell,

Each flake divinely measured flight.

Blanketing tree and bush and road,

The snow covered all in downy white.

No sound of breath or footstep,

Merely winter’s silent might.

Pensive moments passed like hours,

Awaiting heart’s delight.

❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄

The

Snow fell,

On this winter night.

Shapeless forms ever taller,

Drifting, rising to great heights.

Anxious thoughts and worries mounted,

Pondering love’s lost and snowbound plight.

But hope is everlasting and renewed each Christmas Eve,

When love is all around us and comforts winter’s frosty bite.

The candle flame then brightened, sending forth it’s warming glow,

For no amount of wind or snow could forestall love’s return on this joyous night.

Fear and worries then abated,

When love came into sight,

Trudging ever homeward,

Guided by love’s candle in the night.

Setting New Year’s Resolutions– Be Specific, Bob!

December 29, 2014 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Thinking about New Year’s Resolutions this week? Taking steps to Better Health, perhaps? Exercise? Healthy Eating? Better Job? Travel? Volunteering? Charity Work? More Family Time? Reading More? Planting a vegetable garden to grow your own produce? Learning a new musical instrument or foreign language? Finding time to paint or a hobby? Finally write that novel in the back of your mind?

Whatever your resolutions may be, when developing your list of annual New Year’s Resolutions this week, please be sure to put a completion date on them to help stay focused and on a timeline. As they say– things with deadlines get done.

Also, please remember to be specific. It makes all the difference. Being specific forces you to clearly identify what it is you want to accomplish with the goals, helps to visualize in helping to bring them about, and makes them more quantifiable and easily measured to monitor your progress towards achieving them. It’s very important. Be specific.

For example, I am in growing need of an assistant in the workroom, so asked Santa to please bring me a Pug for Christmas this year. To help with smaller tasks, help keep me motivated and moving. I was not specific in my request- male, female, young, old, black, fawn- didn’t matter. Any friendly little helper in need of a new home would be fine.

Pug Dressed For Christmas with a Red Bow Tie

Or, if Pugs were in short supply, fully appreciative of the fact that children should come first on the Christmas Gift List, I asked Santa to please bring me a St. Bernard in need of a good home, instead. To help with the bigger tasks around the workroom.

St. Bernard in a Field

Again- I was not specific- male, female, puppy, young, older, short hair, long hair, color- did not matter. Just a helper. A big one. Now here’s the point. Again, I was not specific in my request. Here is what Santa brought.

Toy St. Bernard, “Ho, Ho, Ho!” to you too, Santa.

So, yes. Now I have a St. Bernard. A very cute, fuzzy, little St. Bernard– Toy. Quiet, great disposition and temperament, but not very helpful beyond being cuddly.

Now, I admit to having tweaked Santa Claus a bit this year in a few blog posts, all in good-natured humor and fun. Maybe this was the Old Boy’s way of getting me back. Lighter to carry than the traditional lump of coal, perhaps. On the other hand, maybe it is because I was not specific and clear in making out my Wish List.

I asked for — “a St. Bernard.” I got — “a St. Bernard.”

Santa brought what I had requested and checked me off the list. Job done. But not at all what I had in mind when making the request. So being specific is important. More so with Santa Claus than I had imagined, apparently.

Good luck setting your goals and resolutions for the New Year. And wishing you the very best of luck and success in achieving them all. Please remember to put a date on them and to be specific. It really does make all the difference in achieving your goals.

Thanks as always for reading!– Jim (and Red!)

Fireside Questions for Santa

December 24, 2014December 24, 2014 / jrmilson / 4 Comments

With Christmas Day drawing nigh,

I have some questions and wonder– “Why?”

Like, what is it about Santa that makes little kids cry?

And how in the world does he get reindeer to fly?

How high do leaves go when they “mount to the sky”?

How many toys do elves make versus having to buy?

So going to stay up late, or at least I’ll try,

And will hide behind the sofa, on Santa to spy.

I want to face him– eye to eye,

To directly ask the jolly elf guy—

“With no disrespect or meaning to pry–

How is it a fat old man can be so spry?

And get down the chimney without bruising a thigh?”

So busily hanging stockings by the chimney to dry,

While waiting here for Santa with questions to ply,

But for now I’m hungry and will bid “goodbye”,

Here anxiously awaiting the Old Boy to drop by.

Goodness, gracious, me oh my.

I wish that I had some Pumpkin Pie!

Wishing a Merry Blessed Christmas to all– “and to all a Good Night!”

— Jim (and Red!)

Santa Claus Drying Socks By The Fireside

Steampunk Ripples & Bearpunk Pranks!

December 18, 2014 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

The Christmas and Holiday Season is all about giving and sharing. Kindness. Stories of random acts of kindness and their far-reaching effects are in the news every day this time of year. But they are there the rest of the year, too. We just need to look for them. When one does an act of kindness, passes along a smile, compliment, comforting touch or gesture, there is no telling how far the positive effects may reach. It could change someone’s day. It could change a life. It could change the world. It’s all about– ripples.

So I thought it would be appropriate and fun to share a few treasured gifts received from some very good friends this year- the artist Christine Southworth and her daughter, the writer Sylva Fae. And– ripples.

As modern times and the internet would have it, Christine and Sylva are two wonderful, charming people who I have never had the pleasure to actually meet in person yet, but who have nevertheless inspired and influenced my life over the past year in a very positive way thru their shared artworks and writings. Which makes it all even more incredible. It is a perfect example of creating ripples, and watching a single act multiply and impact others one by one in turn.

Mother Teresa Quote– Ripples

Earlier in the year, I wrote a blog post titled “Expand Your Horizons on a Walk Around the Block!” After reading that post, which apparently resonated with her, Christine gifted me back an original drawing, entitled “Milson, the Steampunk Bear.” This drawing has since been the featured image on my blog here, on the right. Needless to say, I was blown away by her talent, kindness and generosity.

“Milson, the Steampunk Bear”- Original Art by Christine Southworth

A few months later, having fun, Christine’s daughter Sylva surprised me with a poem inspired by the drawing “Milson, the Steampunk Bear.” I would like to share that poem with you here. Again, I was amazed with such a wonderful and creative gift, totally out of the blue. Other bears mentioned in the poem were inspired by earlier creations of mine, available for review in the Gallery, linked above.

“MILSON- THE STEAMPUNK BEAR”

“Hello! I’m Milson the steampunk bear. No other bear can compare.

I’m quirky, fluffy but beware, I have a secret– “Shhh, don’t share!”

When all the grown-ups go to sleep, down the stairs, I do creep.

Through the catflap, quietly sneak, across the step with one big leap.

In sun or rain or snowy weather, I wear my hat with jaunty feather.

Goggles and specs I wear together, with studded boots of shiny leather.

I grab my bike from garden glade, for my nightly escapade.

A steampunk biker renegade, ready for the bear parade.

Meeting at the dead of night, Old Glory bears reunite.

It really is quite a sight, Hats on, pegs up. Hold on tight!

There’s Butterscotch Spike on his brass heart bike.

Horace revs a vintage trike, and Sidecar Elsie’s quite a tyke.

Grumpy Gus on a golden chopper, Old Boone loves his ride in copper.

Gaarrth’s a steamcycle whopper, and Tuffie’s trike is good ‘n’ proper.

All the rest in leather and lace, come and join the bearpunk race.

Engines roar as bears give chase, and Grumpy Gus takes first place.

Taking off at lightning speed, a steampunk cycle is my steed.

I know I can, I will succeed. Head down, ears back, I take the lead.

Engine off, put on the brake. The trophy is mine to take.

We feast on mead and fruity cake, then home before the grown-ups wake.”

—by Sylva Fae

Earlier this week for my birthday, Christine gifted me with another piece of artwork—“Milson the Steampunk Bear Finishes the ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ Chair.” That’s him, the little bear with the wrench in his hand on the bottom right. I was honored to receive such a gift- again. We have had an ongoing discussion thru the week as to whether “housework” might be included in the “Do Anything” operating manual.

“Milson, the Steampunk Bear Finishes the ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ Chair”- original artwork by Christine Southworth

Already inspired and moved to action from the original drawing and poem, this latest piece served to reinforce the message. It has been received, loud and clear, and it seemed time for “Milson the Steampunk Bear” to take form.

This little guy is the first of some new Bearpunk patterns and of what will be a whole new line of work and creations, as “Steampunk Bearpunk Bears and Accessories” will make their way into my store after the first of the year. While a departure from the Traditional, Vintage and Country Primitive stylings I have been making, they will be a fun new complement and addition. And if this first fellow- “Milson, the Steampunk Bear” is any indication, it’s going to be a blast working on them!

Milson, the Steampunk Bear– German Mohair, Glass Eyes, by James Milson, 2014

And it all started from a Blog post, which moved an artist an ocean away to create a drawing, which inspired a daughter to create a poem, which in turn led to the creation of another artwork, which led me out of my own comfort zone and to the creation of new teddy bear designs and store line. Which hopefully leads to more enjoyment and fun for who knows how many more folks in the coming years. A single ripple reaching distant shores and flowing back. And back. And back. If ever undecided about doing an act of kindness for someone—do it. You never know whose world you may be changing.

Here is a link to visit Sylva’s delightful blog → “Sylvanian Ramblings Blog”

Christine is a frequent contributor of original watercolor paintings and other artworks on Sylva’s blog, just look thru earlier posts for beautiful artwork and delightful posts by Sylva there. You can learn more about Christine in a recent Guest Post on Sylva’s blog here → “Christine Southworth Guest Blog Post”

In other news, Red and I are also hard at work finishing his first short story collection for release in the New Year—“The Adventures of Little Red Bear.” Hopefully more ripples. Busy times here. Making waves!

It’s the Holiday Season. Kindness. Sharing. Join in, have fun and go make some ripples of your own! It just takes one act or moment of kindness to get the whole progression started. And sometimes, as in a simple blog post, you don’t really know what ripples you may be setting in motion and what may come back to you in the process.

Sending Ripples Into The World

Thanks as always for reading and following along. Very best wishes from Little Red Bear and I, and the whole gang of critters and story folk here for a very Happy, Healthy and Joyous Holiday Season! — Jim (and Red!)