My lovely grandmother-in-law, Jean Lang Horne, whom I never had the pleasure of meeting, was a crafty soul in her later years. We have a plethora of lovely stuffed and studded ornaments and stockings. She even made a beautiful quilt for her first great-grandchild - which she forbade her grandsons to have while she was still living!

She also made, what is quite possibly the scariest looking Santa ornament I've ever seen. The picture does not do justice to just how creepy this guy can look when he's staring at you from the back branch of the Christmas tree. My daughter refuses to even hang it on the tree. I think it's the eyes. Whatever it is, it's just weird. Jean, of course, had no intention of creating a creepy Clause - and frankly it just adds to the love of ugly thing. It gives me a giggle every time I look at it. Everything's better with a story, intended or not. And we have a great one with this guy. I will ensure that my youngest, Nora Jean, gets this for her tree someday. She can tell her kids that this is the Santa that visits if they don't behave!

On a less scary and less interesting note, these little angels sat on my grandparents shelves for every Christmas as long as I could remember - and then my mother's. I snagged them before my brother could after mom died. And this is the second Christmas they've adorned my mantle.

As I was gazing at all my Xmas decor the other day, I started to laugh thinking that these beloved angels were probably made in China and something my grandmother bought on the cheap. But apparently they are solid brass from India!

Whether it's a brass angel or a scary Santa face, as always, it's the memories of the people who handed these down to us that warms our hearts and keeps us putting the same darn decorations out year after year.

I wish I could to see how many generations after me that Santa is hanging around!