Cardboard Christmas

My name is Ruthann and I live in Virginia with my husband and 2 sons. I am a social worker at the Veterans Hospital. My interest in putzs comes from a variety of influences. I enjoy anything reminiscent of Christmas past, and my mom has two simple houses from her childhood. My grandpa, who passed this year at age 99, told me his dad made a huge platform with a fence and houses and creche; all long gone. He grew up with the Belsnickle, and so did my mom.

I collect mostly vintage and antique ornaments, and I have too many to display at my house, so I have a display at the Watermen's Museum in Yorktown in December. I believe the items that have lasted are meant to be shared and enjoyed. Sometimes I lose some to breakage, but that is the price I pay to enjoy my collection.

Putzs are not as fragile as the ornaments, and just as delightful, so I have been enjoying putzs more this year than previously when I was busy acquiring ornaments. My husband enjoys my collection but he has his own interests. He enjoys seeing me enjoy my stuff!

I'm guessing Virginia is the state where you live! I, too, like using the old ornaments, risk of breakage or not. My grandmother had a tiny German beer bottle ornament on her tree when she was a child--must have been in the 1890s. It has been used every year since then, first by her, then my mother, and now me. It's the only one I have left of hers, and it gives me great pleasure to put it out each year.
It was nice reading about your ornaments. And yes, putzes are truly less fragile, I think.

I try to buy my old glass ornaments/vintage glass ornaments at tag sales and such. That way, when they do break, it's not so much of a heartache....