Christmas in Virginia

Christmas is always a mixture of excitement, adventure and a little bit of worry.  Decorating, shopping, cooking, entertaining, and visiting.  Sometimes years we have visitors and this year we were the visitors.  I took my journal with me, but only had a chance to make a few sketches of decorations inside the house.

A brightly decorated tree with presents tucked underneath is one of the images that represents a family Christmas.  As we approached the day, more and more presents appeared under the tree.  The Morning light highlighted the ornaments on the tree and in the garland that crept up the stair case.  The iron vertical rails marching up the stairs and the dark wooden steps added nice vertical and horizontal elements to the image.  

Stockings hung by the chimney are such a classic Christmas image I couldn't resist.  

"the Stocking were hung 
by the Chimney with care, 

in hopes that Saint Nicholas 
soon would be there"

From 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' by Clement Clarke Moore

As the poem describes, this sketch was done before the stockings were filled and the fire lit the next morning.  I am happy to report that no coal was received this Christmas.