Jack misses the mark again so the Wednesday post is a day late –

As we approach Christmas we’ve had a small production line going making miniature snowmen out of empty cans. We used canned pet food so to avoid landfill filling we try to reuse the cans for household purposes: plants we give away, small holders, etc. This year, it’s snowmen.

Wendy washes and strips the labels off the dog and cat food cans then she paints them white. I glue two or three together and use a cotton bud to dab the black paint for eyes, mouth and buttons. I cut a triangle of orange card and glue that on for the carrot nose. Wendy paints small cat food pots black and stacks them three high on a yogurt tub lid, and voila there is magic in those old tin cans we found: these become the hats. Finally, she crochets a wee scarf for the snowpeople and bands for the hats to provide the finishing touch.

Wendy says it is about recycling the cans. I say it’s a seasonal version of our tactic to keep ourselves busy and occupied during the pandemic so we don’t go completely loopy.

Once the first dozen or so were made they went out onto our front steps to the sidewalk with an invitation for passersby to help themselves to one or two. The first to take one was the Fedex guy, and we were glad he got something out of working on a Sunday. He was quickly followed by our regular neighborhood dog walkers and exercisers. We do get a kick out of one older gentleman in a dayglow orange hoodie who has never seemed to notice them. Even walkers who don’t take one tend to point and smile. His hood may be providing tunnel vision, or he could be a direct descendant of Scrooge, or perhaps he’s an art teacher and is evaluating our fumbling attempts. We don’t judge his judgment.

It truly just started as a way of using up the cans, which were beginning to take over the house. Wendy and I don’t often put up a tree, so we thought we’d make a few persons of snow for decorations in the house. Then Wendy hit on the idea of giving them away in a socially distanced way, and the production line was born. About a dozen have been given out, with a dozen left to go. If I have my way, that will be quite enough. However, I suspect….

Even when someone doesn’t take one they still smile when they see them so the spirit of Christmas is alive in a cheerful way.

Oh – and the first day they were out, it snowed – – – Wendy is convinced it was the snowmen magic. Who knows; she could be right.