The PSP Forum challenge for this month was to attempt to picture (and explain) a holiday tradition we each have - so here goes mine.... I have always loved to read, and one of my favorite traditions of the season is taking out the *big* box of holiday books I have collected over the years - in a way, it is like greeting old friends and introducing them to the new ones I have gathered during the latest year. My collection ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous - old classics, some beautiful (and some silly) pop-up books, some new classics and some just totally off-the-wall obscure things no one else has ever seen. My oldest is a "Night Before Christmas" that I have *always* had (I think it belonged to my daddy) that has no illustration credits or publisher/copyright info whatsoever, my daughter's favorites are the first three I "consciously" collected - bought from the Weekly Reader Book Club when I was in the first grade - and this year's find was gleaned from the 1/2 price table at her school bookfair, a wonderfully absurd story by Berke Breathed (of the Bloom County comic strip fame). Some have come as gifts, and most of the best were found in unexpected places at odd times, yard sales and second hand stores in the middle of the summer - and some are never packed away, but remain on the bookshelves all year, to be taken out and reread when I feel the need for some "Christmas spirit", no matter what the season. My books bring back memories of Christmases past, of being read to and learning to read myself - and make new memories as I introduce my child and family to some of my "oldest friends"! :-) Done in PSP - Santa and tree scanned from my oldest "Night Before Christmas", Sugarplum Fairy by me (wings and (I think) pose by Fyrene), snowman by me (snow texture by akdanie), book by me, angel and baby a tube from I don't remember where. Thanks for looking, and may you always have a story in your heart! :-)