Christmas Markets

I previously mentioned my trip to the Mifflinburg Christkindl Market with the Rodgers (sans Scott).

(Becca and myself)

Friday past I went to the Philadelphia version with my friend Steph. The Christmas Village is set up by City Hall and recently ran into some controversy because the sign has the word "Christmas" in it. Though I don't know what people expect a village of shops selling things to decorate your house for Christmas to be called. Crap for your Indoor Tree Village is hardly festive sounding.

I was happily surprised at all the really lovely, handmade German smokers, nutcrackers, ornaments, and food (real Germans too!). The day itself was freezing cold but sunny. And I got tons of Christmas shopping done (even though the only thing I was hoping for was a smoker man).

And I've always wanted to do one of these:

(Steph and myself)

Though the woman who took the photo above couldn't tell Steph and myself apart...we never realized how much people think we look alike. Well, except for the Suddenly Creepy Subway Guy, but that is a tale for another day.

Happy Christmas Shopping!

Acceptable Smoking

Since today is cold, wintery, and I had a doctor's appointment, I decided that it was time to go looking for one of my favourite men to cheer me up. After 10 minutes of rooting around in my pantry looking for a white box, I found him nestled in his small brown box on the vase shelf. Here he is, Otto:

Otto is my rauchmann (smoker man) that I was lucky enough to find at the annual Christkindlmarkt in Mifflinburg, Penna. I went with the lovely Rodgers family a few years ago, and people were literally running over each other for these wee men. The tiny trailer where the shop was set up had räucherkerzen in all shapes and sizes: hobos, barmaids, and I think even someone in a bubble bath. But the problem was that shoppers had to move in one direction; there really wasn't any going back to the beginning of the line. I had to look fast, but Becca helped narrow them down. And somehow, in all that madness, we found Otto.

I am pretty anti-smoking, but beings as this man has no lungs and isn't smoking anything addictive it's fine with me if he smokes away. Besides, he looks so jolly doing it.

Turkey Love

This is the photo I was searching for yesterday. My sister loves turkeys a lot; they kind of freak me out. But this photo makes me laugh hysterically whenever I see it (so I keep it over my desk).

(Sister and turkey)