Katie started it

The other day my desk at school had a new decoration. It is about 12 inches tall and made up of large, medium and small marshmallow shaped foam stacked in snowman style with a knit stocking cap, matching scarf and twigs with glittery snow for arms. A surprise snowman!! This sweet gift was left by a great friend from school for my birthday and she happens to know that I collect the creatures. I have a vast collection from large ones, to meaningful ones, to fine china ones,but my favorite one, the one who started it all, came from a child.

Katie created a corduroy snowman for me about 20 years ago. I don't remember if it was a craft that she did on her own or part of a school art project. I do know that when someone makes something with her own hands and thinks you deserve to have it it becomes more special than you can believe. Katie is my now very grown up niece who lives on Cape Cod, has a career in fashion, a dry sense of humor and a sense of style I will never attain. She is beautiful and exceedingly smart. I don't see her very often but she makes me so happy when I can spend time with her. And it is all her fault that I own so many snow people.

Katie's snowman couldn't be alone. He needed company and I began getting that company for him everywhere. Flea markets and garage sales have offered my vintage cookie jar shaped snowmen and candlesticks with snowmen motifs. I look for special snowmen on vacation (like the porcelain snowman ornament with a tri-cornered hat from Williamsburg, VA.), as well as men made of salt clay. I have wooden ones and crystal ones and felt ones. I have big ones that stand on their own and artsy ones who are more like sculpture. I have a Limoge porcelain snowman and Lennox Fine China ones. I have snowmen inside of snow globes, as teapots and even one with pink hat and ribbon in support of breast cancer research. I have a set of Russian nesting snowmen with the biggest one being only about an inch tall with 5 even littler ones inside.I do have one or two items of clothing with snowmen on them, too. My husband and sons have often given me something snowman when they find them. In the winter they can be found on my wall unit and on my Christmas tree, in the bathrooms and even on some stoneware dishes. I find it so interesting that something as silly as snow-people captured my imagination so long ago; I like to see personalities in their painted faces or sparkling eyes. After my Aunt Carole died her daughter found a snowman set aside for me and I cherish him so much. (This winter I would love to see a big authentic snowman wrapped in the apron!! that's a hint to whomever has it.)

In all I would say I own about 100 snow-people. It got to the point a few years ago that even I thought it was a little ridiculous. But now I have one more!! and he makes me happy. You just never know what can brighten someone's day.

Thanks, Kate!! someday I will return the favor.