FATHER CHRISTMAS AND FRIENDS

THIS CZECHOSLOVAKIAN POSTCARD

SAYS "MERRY CHRISTMAS"

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Is there any hope when your sister, whom you love dearly, is late AGAIN for your every-other- Saturday luncheon date, therefore making you late for the flea market, and when you get there at 3:30 P.M. you discover they've changed the closing time to 4:00 P.M. instead of 5:00 P.M.?



Yes, there is! In fact, I found more in a half hour in this flea market than I sometimes find when I have way more time to browse. Sadly, our local monthly Flea Market/Antique Show has become almost solely flea market, since most antique dealers sell their wares on eBay now days.

But this time, I was fortunate to find the postcard shown at the top of the post, and a lovely gilded Easter postcard, both mailed from Czechoslovakia. The dealer had many more Czech postcards, which I have never seen before. I wish I had had a chance to peruse the others, but it was time to move on.



At another booth, I found this pensive little Victorian Girl in Winter. Hmm . . . She could almost be my January Painting of the Month, couldn't she? At the same booth, I found a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses", copyright 1933, in really good condition (a steal at $5.00). I was surprised and thrilled to learn that this edition was illustrated by Frances Brundage, who was a renowned illustrator of Halloween and Christmas postcards during the Golden Age of Postcards. All I need to do is glue down the flap that covers the spine.

In my little speed walk through the flea market, I also found a really nice blue and white china plate and a statue of a springer spaniel (I collect dog statues). Last but not least, I found this Father Christmas dressed in white, and another one dressed in red for my sister.

I left this picture for the last because I wanted to tell you that Leanne at "Somerset Seasons" has written a post about Father Christmas/Santa Claus/St. Nicholas. Before the red-suited Santa we know today came along, Santa - or more accurately Father Christmas - was often pictured in long robes of white, green, blue and brown! Leanne has also written some other lovely Christmas-tradition posts, including ones about Robin Red Breast, the Yule Log, Mistletoe and Christmas in Olden Times. They begin December 5 and continue through today (so far!). Please check out her blog at http://www.somersetseasons.blogspot.com/. Another English blogger, Rowan, has been visited recently by her very own lovely Christmas Robin. Read her blog at http://www.circleoftheyear.blogspot.com/.