"We 15 Kings from Orient Aren't"

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A while back when I posted pictures of my humble Christmas decor, quite a few of you made remarks about my collection of kings.

Someone even said she found them fascinating AND a bit scary.


I don't really see the scary part, except for that nasty flash glare which so brilliantly illuminates the streaky glass on the patio door.

Hey - - - might as well talk about my dirty laundry, er I mean window, 'cause it's certainly hanging out there for y'all to see!!


Ah, this softer glow doesn't show the kings to such an advantage, but it hides the dirty laundry.

I love my kings and SOME of them come with stories - - - and in my opinion, decor with a story is the very best kind.


These are the kings with tales. No, not tails, tales!


For years I WISHED I had some nutcrackers. I would see the Nutcracker on TV each Christmas season and wonder why in the WORLD I didn't have one.

Then one Christmas when I took the kids to do their Christmas shopping at some Dollar Store, I saw boxes and boxes of these small kings. I WANTED those kings.

I saw my children hovering around various areas of the store - - - mostly NOT where the boxes of little kings were - - - and I did some shameless manipulating. I will confess here and very publicly that I made many disparaging remarks about EVERYTHING in the store except these kings which I praised to the heavens!!!

And low and behold on Christmas morning when I opened my gifts from my two oldest children, SURPRISE - - - I got my two little kings!!!!

I still have them, will ALWAYS have them, and they are my two most cherished since they were my first.


Later that same Christmas day, when we opened presents with my parents I received THIS king from them. I believe, if I remember correctly, I had shamelessly manipulated them too by telling them over and over again that I REALLY wanted a LARGE nutcracker.

For ONCE in my life they did that which went totally AGAINST their parenting philosophy and gave me what I wanted.

You know - - - back in the day parents thought that indulging their children's whims would spoil them. I guess since I was already an adult at the time they figured that there was no more spoiling to be done and indulged me.

For years my collection of kings was just these three.

Then slowly I began to buy MYSELF some kings as they went on sale following Christmas. I believe MOST of the other ten kings, besides the five in the storied group, were accrued in that manner.


Then one Christmas in Marion, Indiana our friend Vangie, who has adopted Fisherhubby as her 5th son, found and presented him with this fishing king.

Thank goodness he only ever catches those same two little trout and they never fill the house with fishy aromas.


And this king is my newest addition to the collection.

Several Christmases ago, after I posted pictures of my Christmas decor, this little guy arrived all the way from Alabama with his knapsack on his back!!!

Seems my bloggy friend, Leigh of Bloggeritaville, noticed my king collection and sent him hitch-hiking my way!!! When he finally arrived, he was SO happy to "come in out of the storm," so to speak, that he gladly posed for all the photos in this blog post.

And there you have it - - - the saga of my kings and how they came to live with me.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, and all YOUR kings!!!

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