Walking to Pamela's Victorian Cottage in the Winter Wonderland

As soon as the train arrived at the little Christmas village two young ladies stepped off the platform and looked around at their surroundings.  

They had been traveling for several days from the west coast all across the continent to the east coast...and they were somewhat in a daze as they surveyed the little village.  

They had sincerely hoped that someone would be at the depot to meet them,  as they had sent a letter to their cousin, "The Little Mother" at Pamela's Victorian Cottage, several days before they embarked on their journey. Miss Winter and her young niece, Amy March, were very sorry to leave their lovely home in California, but their circumstances in life had changed, and they were hoping to find a home with their cousin at her lovely estate in the east. They had heard so many wonderful things about the many lovely young ladies who made their home at Pamela's Victorian Cottage, and they thought that would be just the right place to settle down and hopefully also help young Amy finish her education.

However, after some time had elapsed, there was still no sign of anyone coming to meet them. So they decided to venture off in search of someone to give them directions to the Cottage.

They walked around the little village and saw many people out shopping and enjoying a beautiful winter day. Miss Winter thought perhaps they should stop at the church and see if anyone might know the way to their destination.

They met a very lovely lady out in front of the church on her way home from shopping apparently. They introduced themselves and asked her if she knew anything about Pamela's Victorian Cottage, and especially if she knew the way there.

The young lady replied, "Oh yes, I know all about the place! You see, I am a relative of the lady of the house, and I normally visit them every Christmas and bring gifts for all the family! Oh, she will be so excited to see you again and I am certain you will be welcomed with open arms! There's always room for more at Pamela's Victorian Cottage! I'm sorry I am unable to take you there myself right now, but I have a prior engagement and I must be going. But I will see you there at Christmas time!"  "If you stay on this road through the village and out into the country a ways, you will be sure to find the place!"

And so our two travelers headed on their way and soon came upon a very nice snowman.  They asked him if he knew the way to Pamela's Victorian Cottage, and he replied "Yes, it is just a little farther through the woods and fields and you will soon find it.  Be careful, as it is getting rather cold and you may find that you will soon be walking in a winter wonderland!"   Miss Winter said that she understood and was not afraid, but she did hope that she and Miss Amy March would get there before nightfall. 

So they continued on their way and they came upon a very curious sign along the pathway...

As they read the sign, they wondered what it could mean.  It said, "Remember, When God closes a door, He opens a window."

"Oh," Miss Winter wondered aloud, "That is surely a message to us from God!  When the door closed for us in our home in the west, He truly has led us to find this new open window of opportunity! I believe God is leading us in the right direction!"  Amy replied, "Oh, Auntie Winter, I truly hope you are right! I'm getting rather tired already and it's becoming a bit cold. I do hope we will reach Pamela's Victorian Cottage very soon."

They passed by some carolers who were singing "Joy to the World, The Lord is come!"...

And a little farther down the road they met some rather shabby looking farmers or shepherd boys, but they were also singing, "Let heaven and nature sing, let heaven and nature sing, let heaven, and heaven and nature sing!"    Everyone was very friendly and kind,  and they assured the young ladies that they were on the right path, and they would soon reach their destination.

Soon they came upon a frozen pond where there were some people skating and enjoying a beautiful afternoon near a little cabin.

They stopped and asked a little snowman, who had fallen off his sled and was trying to get back up, if he knew the way to Pamela's Victorian Cottage,  and he told them to just keep going on this trail and soon they would find it.  The wise old owl sat up in the tree and said,"Whooooooo are youuuuuu? You'd better hurry! It will soon be night time and it will get rather dark out here!"

There were a couple of old men sitting on the porch of the cabin, and they told the young ladies to just keep heading in that direction, and they would get there soon, and not to worry about what the old owl said. "He's always anxious for it to get dark so he can go out hunting!"   They thanked the old men and hurried along just the same.

Something very curious happened: they soon came upon a cat dressed up like a lady, wearing a big hat, and holding a tea pot in her hands.  She asked them to stop a while and have some tea to help warm them up along their way.  They thanked her very kindly, but said they really had better keep going as it was getting dark and cold and they needed to reach their destination before nighttime.

Soon they came to a little country village,  where children were out sledding and riding in a sleigh, and having such a good time.  They asked another little snowman if he knew the way to Pamela's Victorian Cottage, and he said he thought they were getting pretty close! "Best you just keep going in that direction, and soon you'll pass a little farmhouse, and then it's just beyond there!"  

Before they could get very far from the snowman, a lovely lady who looked a lot like an angel stepped out of the woods and asked them where they were going.  They told her they were trying to get to Pamela's Victorian Cottage before dark, and she said, "Well, you are almost there, but you need to stop by the little farmhouse on your way because the farmer has a message for you to give to the family at the Cottage."  They wondered about this messenger, and what it all could mean, but they thanked her and hurried on their way.

Soon they came to a little tiny cottage, surrounded by farmland and many animals.  There was a young couple in the yard, and they called to the young ladies and welcomed them and offered them some tea and cookies.  Miss Winter and Miss Amy March said they appreciated the offer, but they really needed to get on to Pamela's Victorian Cottage before dark.  That's when the farmer told Miss Winter that he had a special message for them all and an invitation for something very wonderful later that evening.

The young ladies thanked him for the message and invitation, and said they would definitely deliver the message as soon as they could reach their destination.

So off they went again, and soon they came to this beautiful cottage sitting back among the trees along the way.  "Oh, look, Amy! There's that little angel and the snowman outside that house, and they are waving to us to come over! This must be the place!!! I wonder how they got here before us?"  

The angel told the young ladies that yes, they have indeed reached their destination, and if they will go on around to the front door and knock, soon they would be welcomed home!

And so they did as they were told, and saw another beautiful angel standing there as well! Miss Winter said to Amy, "I think the angels have been guiding us here all the way, and we just didn't realize it! But now I know that we are truly in the right place!  

Oh, I do hope they will welcome us with open arms!"

So very timidly at first they knocked on the door and waited...

Soon here came "The Little Mother",  and when she saw Miss Winter and Miss Amy March, she was so surprised!  Miss Winter asked,  "Did you receive my letter?"  And she replied,  "No, I'm sorry, I didn't receive it yet, or surely I would've arranged for someone to meet you at the train station! I am SO sorry you had to walk all this way alone!"

But Miss Winter replied, "Oh, we were not alone!  There were special people all along the way to point us in the right direction and to make sure that we were safe. I do believe God sent His special messengers to watch over us and protect us all the way!"

There were little faces looking out the windows and crowding out the door to see who was there...

Everyone was so curious about who the new visitors might be.

"Oh, I do hope they are going to be friendly and fun!" thought the young ones waiting inside...

"Oh wonderful!," they all cried in unison! "We have some new visitors and friends to welcome!"

The Little Mother invited them in so they could warm up and get something to eat.  

Everyone gathered around and wanted to know all about them...

Miss Winter and Miss Amy March were overwhelmed with how friendly and welcoming everyone was! It felt so good to finally be "home". 

Oh, and look! There was already a beautiful Christmas tree with a manger, and gifts under the tree!

Oh, and a couple of sweet kitty cats warming by the fireplace...they soon learned their names were Sunshine and Blackie, and they were wonderful kitties for all to love.

Miss Winter exclaimed, "Oh, before I forget! I have an important message and invitation for you all from the little farmer and his wife down the road. He said it was very important that I give you this message tonight!"

When the little mother read the note, she knew exactly what the farmer wanted them to do. So they hurried up and finished their supper, and everyone got dressed  to go out and take a walk down the road to the little church near the farm.

When they got near the little church,  they saw a marvelous sight...and they heard music coming from all around them...

(The church is from a John Sloane Country seasons calendar, "Waiting for the Shepherd")

This song was new to them, but it was so very beautiful, and they soon found themselves bowing down before the baby in the manger in adoration

"Adore"

by Chris Tomlin

You stepped down from heaven

Humbly you came

God of all creation

Here with us

In a starlit manger

Emmanuel

Light of the world

Here to save

Adore

Come let us adore

Oh come let us adore him

The Lord, worship Christ, the Lord

Let all that is within us

Adore

Little by little the family gathered near and worshiped together...

Wise men bring their treasures

Shepherds bow low

Angel voices sing of peace on earth

What have I to offer

To heaven's King

I'll bring my life, my love, my all

Oh! And there were those same angels, along with another little angel, singing Glory to the Newborn King!

Adore

Come let us adore

Oh come let us adore him

The Lord, worship Christ, the Lord

Let all that is within us

Adore

Angels sing, praises ring to the newborn King

Peace on earth, here with us, joy awakening

At your feet we fall

Adore

Come let us adore

Oh come let us adore him

The Lord, worship Christ, the Lord

Let all that is within us

Adore

All too soon the song was over, and the family soon found their way back home in the winter wonderland, as they walked in silence and wondered at all they had just witnessed.  

When they came back inside, they all gathered around together and sang "Silent Night, Holy Night" before saying good night.

"Christ, the Savior is born"

Amen.

This story came about because of the special arrival of our two newest members to the Pamela's Victorian Cottage family.  They did travel all the way from California, as the result of a conversation with one of our dear blogging friends, Suzy from Photowannabe blog.  Suzy was having a "garage sale" of some special Hallmark Christmas ornaments that she had collected over the years. I asked her if she had any "Madame Alexander" doll ornaments, and she said that she did. She had these two plus a couple of others that I already had similar duplicates of.  So I said that I would love to buy these two for my collection, and thus the arrangements were made and she shipped them out to me last week. It's taken me all week to come up with this little story, in between the other things that were going on here. 

Here they are in their special boxes, Miss Winter Wonderland, and Mis Amy March, the youngest member of the Little  Women family!

And here they are, just after they arrived, before there was any train or village under the tree...one thing led to another, and thus the story was born!

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed taking their pictures and coming up with the story, which kind of materialized and metamorphasized throughout the day even as I was writing it.  

Hebrews 13:1-2  NKJV

"1 Let brotherly love continue. 

2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, 

for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. "

Good Night, and may you  "sleep in heavenly peace."

CHRISTmas is Coming!!

 Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!!   We were excited to see the geese arrive back on Still Waters Pond this morning...the first time we've seen them since last spring!

If you aren't familiar with this little tune, here it is for you:

Christmas is coming, goose is getting fat

Please put a penny in the old man’s hat

If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do

If you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you!

Christmas is coming, goose is getting fat

Please put a penny in the old man’s hat

If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do

If you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you!

Christmas is coming, candles on the tree

Please hang a stocking for Saint Nick to see

If you haven’t got a stocking, a little sock will do

If you haven’t got a little sock then God bless you!

Christmas is coming, season of good cheer

Let’s sing a carol for the brand-new year!

If you haven’t got a carol, a joyous song will do

If you haven’t got a joyous song then God bless you!

Christmas is coming, goose is getting fat

Please put a penny in the old man’s hat

If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do

If you haven’t got a ha’penny then God bless you!

I was happy to see not just ONE goose, but four geese swimming on the pond!!

We are very excited to see them return, and hope they will decide to stay awhile, and perhaps at least one couple will decide to build their nest here again! Time will tell. But for now, I am considering this a Christmas blessing!!

And not only the geese, but there were bluebirds in the yard the other day when we were having so much rain! This one was checking out the birdhouse!  I certainly hope they will be back to nest here again also!! Another Christmas blessing!

Joy to the World, The Lord is Come!

Let earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing!

The carolers are all singing and rejoicing in the Good News!

Looks like Mrs. Santa and Santa Claus are getting ready for the big day!  Hey, Santa, where's your sleigh?  Are you taking the train this year?

Oh, Someone hijacked Santa's sleigh and put some beautiful flowers in it, and sent it here special delivery!! What a wonderful surprise from some sweet family members!

Looks like everyone is ready for Christmas at the cabin:

The Martin Sisters are gathered round the piano and ready to sing...

Oh, there's another Santa, and he's got gifts ready to bring...

The snowmen are warming up by the fire...better watch out! You might melt!

Baby Elva and Lily Grace are enjoying the tree and the train and village...

The sleepy little village of "Bethlehem" is ready for the weary travelers...

(this is the modern day version of Bethlehem, not to be confused with the real Bethlehem...)

Lily Grace and her friends are getting ready for the Birthday Party for Jesus:

See? The cake is baked and the friends are all dressed in their best Christmas outfits, ready to celebrate:

All the family at Pamela's Victorian Cottage are ready to celebrate Jesus' Birthday:

Uh, someone might need some help in gift-wrapping...Actually they are mostly done, but just waiting for Santa to pick them up and deliver them...

Yes, Christmas IS coming, and yes, there will be gifts under the tree on Christmas morning...well, maybe not exactly under the tree due to the train and village, but somewhere in the neighborhood...

And yes, there are some cookies being baked a little at a time...This is a new recipe that turned out really good...Cranberry/white chocolate chip and pecans...yummy.  (found a recipe online).

Yes, all this is being done because of one very special reason,

CHRISTmas is coming!

Jesus, Our Savior and Lord...

He is coming!

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, 

and we beheld His glory, 

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, 

full of grace and truth."

John 1:14

And that, my friends, is why we do all of this celebrating!

CHRIST-mas is coming!!

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight.

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,

Christ the Savior is born!

Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night!

Son of God love's pure light.

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

From all creatures great and small here at our house to yours:

Merry Christmas everyone!!

This will probably be my last post until after Christmas, unless something else exciting happens!

So until then, have a very blessed and beautiful CHRISTmas with your loved ones and friends.

And remember,

"Jesus is the REASON for the season!!"