Christmas Gifts from Monticello

Quite by coincidence, Sheila and I each received gifts for our home from Monticello this Christmas!

Monticello is a home I studied in high school and college as an architecture/engineering student. It has always been one of my favorites. As luck would have it, I also highly respect our founding father who designed and built this spectacular home, Thomas Jefferson. He was a wise man who has shared many of my own beliefs and who understood and has written extensively about the growing pains our country would face in the coming centuries. He is often pushed aside and minimized in history but someone whom I admire, respect and try to emulate. Having gifts in our home from Monticello is a nice reminder of an honorable man.

Accompanying these gifts, we received a letter written in the hand of Thomas Jefferson. Here is an excerpt from this letter...

"...Although more than two hundred years have passed since I've written this letter to you, through the magic of Christmas and the graciousness of Saint Nicholas, I trust you will safely and securely receive my letter and gifts from my beloved home at Monticello.

Please allow Lukas and Mackenzie to open these gifts on Christmas morning in your home. Saint Nicholas is and has been watching your grandchildren closely and he tells me they have been very good! As I have done with my own grandchildren, please always ensure you do your best to quench the thirst for knowledge in little Mackenzie and Lukas. We are all watching their growth from our spiritual place in this universe as they learn and grow.

I've gifted to you some drinking glasses from my home, Monticello, for your social gatherings. These glasses have graced the lips of living history and I trust in my heart that you will treasure these beautiful bubbled glass drinking glasses featuring gold embossed line drawings of my Monticello. Please tip a glass to my Monticello whenever you think of it.

I've also gifted to you a Perching Birds Doorbell which has been used in our carriage house for arriving guests to summon service. I trust you can find good use for this in summoning guests or your grandchildren for dinner. This bell has served Monticello well in this purpose..."

One of the gifts we received is a Monticello "Perching Birds Bell" which we plan to affix to a wall or post in our outdoor kitchen (when I finally get that project completed... in the meantime, we'll keep collecting things we need and desire for it). For now, this bell is mounted on the wall next to our Christmas tree...

We received some gourmet chocolates through Monticello made specifically for Monticello by a chocolatier in Charlottesville... these fine chocolates are deliciously smooth!

Below are the two drinking glasses mentioned in the letter... as with all of our glassware from Monticello, these are very nice glasses... I could really use a few more Monticello pint glasses too!

We also received some gourmet sea salts collected from around the world... places such as Cyprus, France and Bali... we're looking forward to tasting these salts ground and sprinkled over some tasty meals...

Monticello has always had a special place in my heart for many reasons. Decorating parts of our own home with select objects reminiscent of Monticello is heartwarming to say the least and that is what one's home should be... heartwarming.