My friend Eleanor was known as the Christmas Lady because she was literally the embodiment of the Christmas Spirit here in Hawaii. She filled her home with 18 ornately decorated Christmas trees, as well as shelves full of Christmas Villages and dolls of every kind. And every holiday season, she would open her home and allow the public to share in her joy. Because I'd just bought a new digital camera for the holidays last year, I took it with me when I went to help Eleanor with her Open House, taking pictures of everything I could. When I sent her copies of these pictures, Eleanor surprised me with a note saying that in all of the years she'd been opening her home, no one had ever given her pictures of her decorations before. I was shocked and even more glad that I had done it.

Of all of her trees, Eleanor's favorite was the one she'd so painstakingly decorated with vintage European blown glass ornaments. This picture is a close-up of several of those ornaments. I am using this picture for my Christmas cards this year, in honor of a wonderful lady that I truly adored and admired. Two of her treasured dolls and two of her beautiful glass ornaments now grace my own living room, as well, reminding me every day of the wonderful person my friend Eleanor was.

After a valiant fight that spanned many years, Eleanor lost her battle with cancer two months ago and I miss her terribly. As will many, many others, when the holiday Open House everyone looks forward to each year, doesn't happen. But these pictures and the many fond memories I have of Eleanor will always keep her alive in my heart.

Merry Christmas, Eleanor!