The Story of the Village

Yes, I have written a lot today... I have many more stories and pictures...but I promise this is the last one for the day....

This is the story of the village that I hope will continue to be a tradition for our family for many years to come...
When I was fifteen or sixteen years old, Mama came home with the first three pieces to the Department 56 Dickens Village.... Each piece that is a part of my village was either an original that Mama bought or given to me by Granny.... I have two other pieces that were bought by me... And here is the story of the first three pieces to the entire set that I have now... I don't have room for any more because I like to display it in Granny's china cabinet... One day I will pass this on to Katie Britt and hopefully she will love it like I do...

 Scrooge and Marley's Counting House.... this is where Ebenezer and Marley worked all their lives... they cheated people out of money and had no heart for giving or loving others...

 This next piece is the one I got the lights stuck in and we had to cut the cord... I remember thinking Mama was going to kill me for doing it.... This is Bob Crachit and Tiny Tim's house... Bob worked for Ebenezer and was very poor... he had a handicapped child, but he loved his family and found happiness in being with them...

 This is Ebenezer Scrooge's house... He was too cheap to pay for lights so we always put a green light in his house to make it look dark... Outside his house are the ghosts that come and visit him... while they look quite scary... I love each of their stories....

 Fezziwig's Warehouse is where Scrooge was an apprentice and learned his tricks of the trade... In his dreams... he revisits Fezziwig's and remembers how well he treated employees...

 This is Nephew Fred's flat... He tries hard to make Ebenezer join him for Christmas, but he always gets turned down.... Fred is the son of his late sister that went to boarding school with him...

 This is the church.... the Ashbury church .... every town needs a church.... and everyone needs to attend... not just Christmas and Easter... we need to go to church and give God that time because He does so much for us....

 These next pictures are of the village businesses....

 I am pretty sure that Sharon Willgus got me this when I got married...

 I like this house... I bought it with my on money... I liked it because it has a family sitting at the table inside...

 This piece, Doolittle's flowers, doesn't go with this set, but Mama knew I loved the story of My Fair Lady and surprised me with this piece... I am pretty sure that she sent Leah and Bobbie to get it for me.

 This is another piece that doesn't go with the Dickens village, but it matches it.... it went with another Dept. 56 set, but it is the town hall... I bought it to remember my granddaddy by since he was once the mayor of Lincolnton. 

 This is the Boarding and Lodging School... Velda, Laura, Fran, and Angie gave me this when I graduated from college...
I also have lots of people that were given to me when I got married and for Christmas gifts...
My village is usually the first thing that goes up for Christmas... and the last thing to come down... It's special to me... I even brought my students from Shannon Forest Christian School to look at Mama's one day all the way from Greenville... Almost all the classes I have taught have read the story...and I have seen all versions of the movie... from Barbie's Christmas Carol to the original... I have seen the live musical and read many versions of the Dickens story....

They all send the same message... be with your family... they are only here for a short time... love them... be a good influence on them... give to those in need... take care of those who are sick... People always wonder what they would grab in a fire if they could... I would want my village... so many memories... so special...