Once upon a snowflake: the tiniest village

Out my window, the sky is graying and a cloud cover blankets our world. It looks like even more snow in the not too distant future.

That brings back memories of last year, when my daughter and I populated our miniature village.

If you look past the snowflakes, you can see inside our window, to the tiniest village in the world, sitting atop bay window.

You can hear the gentle tinkle of a harp playing in the corner.

Onceupon a snowflake, the tiniest village in the world was born, a symbol of the goodness we love to believe in this time of year.

Five years ago, we bought our first tiny house, a miniature Victorian mansion.

We added a Mum, Dad and baby in a carriage.

We added a Mum, Dad and baby in a carriage.

We also have town Carolers.

Each year, we buy more buildings and people.

Last year, we bought the Music Store, Post Office, Lighthouse (I don't know what a Lighthouse is doing in the town center of a Victorian miniature village, but it was on sale, for cheap).

Now, the village is pretty much complete.

Mrs. Mum, Mr. Dad and tiny baby girl go to the school, church, post office, music store,bakery, dairy barn, grocery, bank, and, of course, their own tiny house.

Each year, we make up stories about this family and their tiny village, atop the bay window in the living room.

Last year, Mrs. Mum found out her husband was delayed.

Apparently, he was stuck in the snow on his sled, and couldn?t return in time for Christmas dinner.

People buy music in the music store for the tiny piano in their tiny little house.

She bought music at the music store and played it on the old piano in their tiny little house.

Last year, Mrs. Mum baked (in our imaginations, of course), hoping to bring Mr. Dad to safety in his sleigh through the storm raging in the miniature village.

Mr. Dad did make it back in time for a late Christmas dinner. His horses sped through the blinding storm, and he opened the door of their tiny Victorian home just before midnight.

* * *

This year, the make-believe story is not yet quite finished.

So far, we have Mrs. Mum baking, the teen daughter still at school, and Mr. Dad wondering how he will ever finish everything in time for the holidays.

One of the 3 horses the family owns has died; this leaves them with 2 horses, just enough for their sleigh.

The winter is expected to be bad in this part of the tiny Victorian world and the family is running short on firewood.

But they have hope and each other.

The teen daughter walks home 2 miles every day from school to help her Mum bake.

Mr. Dad chops the firewood, runs the Music Shop and Post Office (this is a very small miniature village), helps an old homeless man find shelter, and milks the cows in the Dairy Barn.

What else can you think of in this miniature village do they need to continue their Holiday story?

These are the buildings: Victorian Mansion, Church, School, Music Shop, Post Office, Bank, Dairy Barn, Grocer, Bakery, Hotel, Train Station, Lighthouse, British phone booth, park bench, old bicycle.

These are the people, Mr. Dad, Mrs. Mum, baby in carriage, townspeople/Carolers.

What can you provide to continue the story?

Happy Holidays!

And don't forget to listen to the three-man orchestra, playing 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen".

Copyright © 2007 Kathryn Esplin-Oleski