Childhood Winter Delights!

All Day Sledding!

Diane with her sled.
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Corgyncombe's exciting news post is almost finished but we at the Corgyncombe Courant are still polishing up some details! We know that you will love it! In the meantime, since it has been snowing, the Corgyncombe Courant is posting one of Diane's Childhood Remembrances.

'Twas the days when we went outside playing and sledding until the midday meal. Then on with dry mittens and socks and out to the hills again! We would head off and not return until almost dark when we would come in with the reddest of cheeks and we would collapse on the floor and sleep by the fire. What fun we had!
I've always felt a kinship with the little girl in the movie "Prancer", dragging her sled behind her and then whizzing down hills!
We always heard tell that one of those who lived in the house before us brought the maple tree, that is to the right of my head, home as just a seedling in his lunch bucket.

Old Fashioned Terms of Sledding!
Belly Whopper, Belly Flopper, Belly Bumper, Belly Gutter...
Diane's Mum Sally Ann just loved sledding, which was sometimes called coasting!

Sally Ann

The 1903 magazine "Outing, The Illustrated Magazine of Sport Travel Adventure and Country Life" described of some of the different terms for Sally Ann and Diane's favorite style of sledding, which they called the "belly whopper". The magazine says: "Style two may be described as throwing the body prone upon the sled, with arms extended to the points. While this method was popular in all sections, hardly any two localities could agree on the names applied to it. Thus, in New England the terms used were "belly-bumper" and "belly-bunt," with an occasional "belly-gut;" Connecticut added "belly-flopper," and little old Nantucket tried to individualize itself by calling it "belly-flouncer." Eastern New York and vicinity allowed "belly-gut," but "belly-gutters" and "belly-whopper" were the favorites, and what little coasting was done in Washington, D.C., in this style was "belly-buster." Western New York advocated "belly-whack" Ohio and Indiana were divided on "belly-bumper" and belly-buster"; and "belly-smack" was heard in Pennsylvania, with "belly-guts" and "belly-whopper."

Tasha Tudor illustrated children coasting down hill in "Around the Year" and in "First Delights, A Book About the Five Senses" Tasha Tudor illustrated the little girl Sally with her sled with the beautiful mountains in the background!

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A Christmas Calendar Inspired by Tasha Tudor, Day 25!

"The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things"

A special package that Frizzy's Mummy ordered, arrived just in time on Christmas Eve.
Frizzy opened it on Christmas Day and she is delighted for now she can take her Baby Doll with her as she explores the vast frozen acreage of Corgyncombe with her Reindeer!

For years we have been inspired by our friend Tasha Tudor's doll families. Tasha Tudor made her dolls look so real and we know that they were real to her. Our dolls seem very real to us, too. Our doll families have many children, cousins, Mums, and Aunties who like to do all the favorite things that we like to do best!

Tasha Tudor created many delightfully fun Calendars for Christmas and Valentines Day.

Diane and her daughter Sarah were inspired by Tasha Tudor's Advent Calendars and delightful dolls, to make this Christmas Calender, "The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things". This is the 6th year that Diane and Sarah have made A Calendar to Count "The Days Until Christmas" featuring Amelia's Favorite Things. This edition of "The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things" was originally created in 2008 and we know you will enjoy it also this 2011 Christmastide Season! Amelia and her family like to celebrate all the special days throughout the year!

Everyday, starting December 1st, a new photograph should appear for the Christmas Calendar, however we ask your patience dear readers, as sometimes there might be a delay due to the weather (such as blizzards, ice storms, high winds and snow), technical difficulties, Finch Post delays, etc.

The Corgyncombe Courant doesn't have a set time when we add the photograph of the day to the Calendar, as there are many other tasks to do and animals to care for.

As it is a Christmas Calendar of Amelia's Favorite Things and Amelia is a doll who lives at Corgyncombe Cottage & Corg'ery, the photographs in the calendar are appropriately small.

How we look forward to celebrating Christmastide traditions and the many surprises as we

Count "The Days Until Christmas" with Amelia!

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A Christmas Calendar Inspired by Tasha Tudor, Day 17!

"The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things"

Frizzy thought her reindeer would look stunning decorated for Christmastide!

For years we have been inspired by our friend Tasha Tudor's doll families. Tasha Tudor made her dolls look so real and we know that they were real to her. Our dolls seem very real to us, too. Our doll families have many children, cousins, Mums, and Aunties who like to do all the favorite things that we like to do best!

Tasha Tudor created many delightfully fun Calendars for Christmas and Valentines Day.

Diane and her daughter Sarah were inspired by Tasha Tudor's Advent Calendars and delightful dolls, to make this Christmas Calender, "The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things". This is the 6th year that Diane and Sarah have made A Calendar to Count "The Days Until Christmas" featuring Amelia's Favorite Things. This edition of "The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things" was originally created in 2008 and we know you will enjoy it also this 2011 Christmastide Season! Amelia and her family like to celebrate all the special days throughout the year!

Everyday, starting December 1st, a new photograph should appear for the Christmas Calendar, however we ask your patience dear readers, as sometimes there might be a delay due to the weather (such as blizzards, ice storms, high winds and snow), technical difficulties, Finch Post delays, etc.

The Corgyncombe Courant doesn't have a set time when we add the photograph of the day to the Calendar, as there are many other tasks to do and animals to care for.

As it is a Christmas Calendar of Amelia's Favorite Things and Amelia is a doll who lives at Corgyncombe Cottage & Corg'ery, the photographs in the calendar are appropriately small.

How we look forward to celebrating Christmastide traditions and the many surprises as we

Count "The Days Until Christmas" with Amelia!

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A Christmas Calendar Inspired by Tasha Tudor, Day 13!

"The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things"

Priscilla Francelia, also known by her friends as Frizzy, likes to go outside and take moonlight walks in the sparkly snow.
She has a dream of becoming a reindeer herder someday!

For years we have been inspired by our friend Tasha Tudor's doll families. Tasha Tudor made her dolls look so real and we know that they were real to her. Our dolls seem very real to us, too. Our doll families have many children, cousins, Mums, and Aunties who like to do all the favorite things that we like to do best!

Tasha Tudor created many delightfully fun Calendars for Christmas and Valentines Day.

Diane and her daughter Sarah were inspired by Tasha Tudor's Advent Calendars and delightful dolls, to make this Christmas Calender, "The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things". This is the 6th year that Diane and Sarah have made A Calendar to Count "The Days Until Christmas" featuring Amelia's Favorite Things. This edition of "The Days Until Christmas: Amelia's Favorite Things" was originally created in 2008 and we know you will enjoy it also this 2011 Christmastide Season! Amelia and her family like to celebrate all the special days throughout the year!

Everyday, starting December 1st, a new photograph should appear for the Christmas Calendar, however we ask your patience dear readers, as sometimes there might be a delay due to the weather (such as blizzards, ice storms, high winds and snow), technical difficulties, Finch Post delays, etc.

The Corgyncombe Courant doesn't have a set time when we add the photograph of the day to the Calendar, as there are many other tasks to do and animals to care for.

As it is a Christmas Calendar of Amelia's Favorite Things and Amelia is a doll who lives at Corgyncombe Cottage & Corg'ery, the photographs in the calendar are appropriately small.

How we look forward to celebrating Christmastide traditions and the many surprises as we

Count "The Days Until Christmas" with Amelia!

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Corgyncombe Reindeer Herders!

Furnishing the Lavvu!

A huge winter storm brought lots of moisture into Corgyncombe's hills and dales in the form of snow, snow, snow! There was a four foot drift in front of the barn door one morning and the snowfence on the hill had totally disappeared! Diane has always fancied a Lavvu of her own and has been gathering interesting items for its interior. A lavvu is a dwelling that looks like a tent that the reindeer herders could frequently move as they traveled with their reindeer. In the photograph above are big reindeer boots, little boots, a decorated tea cozy, a teapot not from Lapland but Diane thought it fit in quite well, and a woman reindeer herder's hat. The reindeer herders didn't wear socks but stuffed their boots with dried grass.

Diane is quite used to life in the tent as she used to spend part of her summers climbing mountains and living in a tent and cannot wait to have her own lavvu. One can imagine on a morning with all that snow drifted round a lavvu could be quite snug!

Lydia, Corgyncombe's reindeer herding pup, atop a snowbank.

Little boots. Aren't they sweet with their little turned up toes?

An old postcard showing a reindeer herding family outside their dwelling.

"Children of Lapland" the little child reminds Diane of her husband when he was a little lad. Diane's daughter Sarah has Norwegian and Swedish ancestry on her father's side.

"Norwegian Handknits, Heirloom Designs From Vesterheim Museum" by Sue Flanders and Janine Kosel. The book has patterns for sweaters, hats, mittens, socks, a knapsack, and other knitted and felted items. Intermingled with the patterns are antique photographs. Some of the patterns are based on old designs with a more modern interpretation. The knapsack on the cover features the Selbu star motif. The pattern originated in an area near where some of Sarah's Norwegian ancestors came from.

Diane's handspun, handknit hats have a star much like the Selbu star. The pattern for these hats is not in "Norwegian Handknits". The hats above and below were amongst the first projects that Diane made with her own handspun 2 ply yarn. The gray, black, and white are the natural colours of the sheep. One Christmas Diane made hats similar to those above except with some dyed yarn as surprises for her father and her uncles. Needless to say they were delighted!

One of the patterns in the book "Norwegian Handknits" is a "Sami Sweater". This sweater was inspired by a garment knit in the 1940s that was in turn inspired by the original Sami garments. Sami are reindeer herders in Scandinavia. Diane and Sarah prefer the 1940s knitted garment as it has a fluted skirt to the straight sided modern sweater. There is also a pattern for matching mittens to go along with the sweater.

In "Folk Mittens, Techniques and Patterns for Handknitted Mittens" by Marcia Lewandowski, there are patterns for mittens inspired by Lapland, Norway, Sweden, and many other countries.

In "Tasha Tudor's Old-Fashioned Gifts", by Tasha Tudor and Linda Allen, there are some Scandinavian patterns for mittens and slipper-socks.

In "And It was So", Tasha Tudor illustrated children from several different lands dancing round in a circle with a World Map on the wall behind them with the dove, symbolizing peace, above the map. One of the children is a little girl wearing the traditional clothing of the reindeer herders of Scandinavia.

Priscilla Francelia, also known by her friends as Frizzy, and her Baby Doll in reindeer herding outfits made by Tillie Tinkham, the seamstress mouse for the dolls at Corgyncombe. Frizzy is petting the little reindeer. Someday, when the reindeer grows up, it will have antlers like the ones Frizzy tied on. Frizzy and Baby Doll think that the little reindeer is so sweet! In the background, a child's Saami and Norwegian language book by Margarethe Wiig is open to one of the many illustrations of reindeer herders.

"Norsk, Lapp, and Finn or, Travel Tracings From The Far North of Europe" by Frank Vincent, Jr.

A New Year's card

Here is a link to: An Old Photograph of Reindeer Herders' Dwellings


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