#fenixtj

Felice Navidad, Yule... Christmas, call it what you will

Decorations are being put up by Maria and Rosa, a large tree put up near but not right at the balefire! The smell of New Jersey Pine!

Ellie has gone off somewhere to work on a Secret Project!

Devious little girl

Holger has become the official lifter upper for childlings not tall enough to reach things. He takes this duty with a quiet sort of pride

Salma has a look of secrecy and found a nook to work on a project as well. It involves craft paper, ribbons, and much SHOOing if anyone looks too closely.

"Ahpuch, I know you must sneak, but I will make your Yule into Dia de los Muertos if you try to see one more time. And only fresh fruit on the Ofrenda!"

A hiss from the shadows, then "Did you REALLY see me:?"

Her ears prick, and she hides a smile. "It was a lucky guess, mi amigo."

mumbling stuff even she can't here, he goes off to snoop on others

Holger is a DUTIFUL one and does not peek when told not to, yet still is nearby if folks need him to fetch.

Ariel has a different approach "Whatcha doing? What is it? tell me tell me tell me..."

A sorrowful look at Ariel. "Did you not hear of the Fenix Yule tradition? If you were to see it now, surely it would have to wait until next year for the gift." A sigh, and she moves as if to show Ariel. "Though if you prefer to wait, I can just show..."

"No!" She scuttles back "No no.. that's a crazy tradition. Who does that?"

"I do not know! Sir Diego explained it to me. You could ask him, but he seemed in a mood." Sir Diego may have not done any such thing. Is he even a Sir?

Dubious look AT the Sir... for Diego is all boo nobles boo, but then her friend is a Pooka.. so if Sir is the lie, the rest must be true! he IS in a mood! Ariel says "I'll leave him be. Fine. I'm going to go wrap some of mY presents to others'

"Gracias, amiga!" And relaxes, to cut and paste and fiddle in peace!

And left alone she is. Each childling plotting.

And Jessica? She will soon find the Christmas tree is from Bergen

Growing up in SoCal, she has also decorated palm trees.... but the trees in NJ were her first Yule. And that makes them special. Jess spends some time in the room with them, enjoying the scent.

More than that, someone cared enough to make sure she had it. A sign her family loves her and is only a door way away. But was it her mom and dad? A gift from Siv? Or even Tig thinking ahead?

Jessica frowns at that. Tig? Where did that come from? How many years here and -now- he decides to send... a tree? Nonsense.

Mmmph.. yes. She did invite him to visit again.

But TREES are a bit much

Get MOM a tree, sure.... Dad's done that. Me?? She dismisses the possibility and just enjoys the scent.

It has several decorations, some from the childlings here! Who had fun with glitter and more to make some truly ..dazling visuals

And now, no doubt, all who admire come away with some glitter; as it should be.

Salma has trailed over, and is just leaning in, eyes closed, and SNIFFING.

"These first decorations are wonderful." Jess observes quietly.

The little nativity scene where Thor is protecting baby Jesus by blowing up romans... that took some time

Jess privately wonders if Dagmar had something to do with that.....

"I never knew that Christmas had a smell. But this must be it." To the Countess, still inhaling the piney scent.

"Navidad has many smells, I think, and yes.... this is one of them, certainly."

"I didn't know that." She looks a little offput. Some things you can't learn in books. "What do sugarplums look like?"

"Um." Jessica things. "Round? And... sparkly with sugar. I think."

Holger moves from a post, and goes off

"How do they dance?"

Head tilted to one side, frowning a bit as she tries to make sense of it.

"Perhaps I shall ask Dama Ash, if it deals with visions..." She muses.

"I think... I think the person who wrote the music to the dance was .... um, Dreaming. He was thinking of a sweet candy he liked and imagined how they might dance, and wrote the music he heard when he watched them."

And then Holger returns with.. sugar plums. THey do not dance... and not all are plum flavored

"Holger, what are those? They are pretty. Are they candy?" Ellie follows, carrying Ramona in her arms.

"Estoy confundida." She frowns. "What music? It is a book, but I do not understand some of it."

"Si, sugarplums" he says

They are rounded hard candies

"Even I could dance better than those, Holger! No tengo pies... they have no feet!" Still she looks intrigued. Caaaandy!

"Princesca, I found a book I do not understand all of, and it's not even from the no-pictures shelves." She looks frustrated a bit by this.

"They don't look like plums. Do they taste like them?" A little reaching hand.

"These do" he points to one of a light purple color, a darker purple he points to "These are more grape. " A pause to the green ones "Those are apple" and yellow ones 'These are lemony.. or Banana. I forget which"

"What book, Selma?"