Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
THIS IS MY WONDERFUL GRANDMA... SHE HAD AN ARTICLE IN THE DESERET NEWS...SO EXCITING FOR HER. WE HAVE GROWN UP WITH HER SNOWMAN SO IT WAS SO FUN TO HAVE HER SHARE THEM, THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THE ARTICLE. ENJOY !!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!
Virginia Johnson has a lot of smiling men in her life — snowmen, that is.
She's surrounded by them.
They're on the mantel, hanging on the walls, perched on the floor, climbing ladders and sitting on the sofa.
They're wreathed, singing and dancing and shaking. They talk and giggle.
The most fragile are tucked up high, while the ones that are kid-sturdy are positioned on low shelves.
Everywhere you look in Johnson's Avenues home, there are snowmen, a collection that represents a lifetime of
gift-giving and gift-getting with friends and relatives.
"My family knows what to give me," she said.
Johnson started having a snowman party the day after Thanksgiving for her grandchildren, where she gives every guest a snowman gift. In turn, the grandchildren bring her the latest in frosty characters.
Over the years, she's had snowmen brought to her from all over the United States. She has everything from snowman cookie jars, candy dishes and pitchers to plush pillow snowmen to standing wooden caroling snowmen.
Some she made in her LDS Relief Society. Several of the most precious were made by grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Some are tiny, like the snowglobe snowman and the salt and pepper shakers.
Others are good-size, like the one made out of 4-by-4s.
A couple are on sleds or wearing skates. Several are wearing shades.
Johnson has a snowman quilt and a snowman tapestry. The lawn ornaments outside are snowmen.
One has long tied legs. Another's legs are jewels. One bunches up and stretches out.
They're all interesting and colorful, and provide lots of entertainment and wonder for little ones, she said.
When the whole family comes for the annual New Year's Day Christmas party, she has to watch over her collection so the great-grandchildren don't love it to death.
"They love them," she said. "And they're really pretty careful, although I have one this year, I expect will be right up there on the top."
As Johnson has gotten older, the many trips up and down the stairs to set up the collection has started to tire her out. So she considered skipping the whole deal this year.
Her neighbors and friends wouldn't hear of it. One even called the newspaper.
A friend came over and built the wooden stage for the snowmen. That really helps, she said.
"So here it is," she said. "One more year."