For many years, she "collected pigs". Every room in her house became overrun with all-things-pig...There were pig curtains, pig rugs, pig ottomans, pig towels, stuffed pigs, painted pigs, glass pigs -- well, you get the idea.
We had just about come to terms with her pig collecting mania -- and there were times when I actually thought it had run it's course -- when we realized she had transferred that collecting addiction from her love of pigs to her love of nativities....
And I AM NOT KIDDING...
So -- the pigs go into hibernation during the Christmas holidays to make room for the hundreds of nativities....
This one has dolls who are about a foot tall...
Her most expensive nativity...special wood....hand carved....From Bethlehem, no doubt...(I'm pretty sure Joseph did it himself)...
Some sets have their own special lighting...
Or significance...this one came from Alaska -- where Ronda & Dean lived while serving in the Air Force...
Of course, her Fisher Price set inspired me to get one for Lillian's room...
This glass set takes up the whole top of her dining room buffet...
Always a sucker for Precious Moments...
Or anything welded out of metal...
Every shelf is full of miniature nativities...
The night of our party -- Ronda gave each grandchild a small nativity...
I thought you'd enjoy a picture tour of Ronda's nativities -- which is just a small fraction of her collection. She has nativity sweaters, there are nativities in every room of the house -- AND in the yard...it is quite something...I'm pretty much done making fun of her this year....but it did occur to me that maybe Ronda isn't the only one with this problem.
And maybe she could be helped...if only she could find the right support group...
Although, I couldn't find anything on the internet...there's every kind of support group for addictive behavior...drinking AA, Al-Anon, eating, TOPS, Weight Watchers, gamblers have Gamblers Anonymous, sex addicts have "Charlie Sheen's Posse"...well -- you get the idea...
People who are compelled to collect nativities could be called???
We simply need a catchy title...
manger maniacs, creche obsessed, manger-monkey-on-your-back??
ReplyDeleteChristmas Lovers. I am one too! this year I got a Nativity Puzzle from one friend and a pair of socks with a Nativity on them from another. I was sad last year (2010) that Hallmark didn't make a Nativity Ornament. I collect those now. They take up less room. LOL
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