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| Crib from the Andes. |
There were amazing cribs on display. Members had collected them from all over the world. There were several from Bethlehem itself, all carved from the local rich olive wood. A small crib, carved from mother of pearl and inserted in a colourful puia shell came from New Zealand.
An ingenious crib, from Vietnam was made of fine paper straws. There was an African crib crafted from corn husks. A hand-painted crib from Mexico and a tiny crib in a bottle from Peru were also on show. There were several beautiful hand knitted cribs made by our members. Of particular interest was a crib carved from dark wood made by prisoners from Cusco, Peru. In another Santa Claus was down on bended knee with his hat removed adoring the Baby Jesus.
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| Vietnam Crib |
The centre-piece of the exhibition was a lit candle and a miniature empty chair to commemorate deceased R.T.A. members. All in all it was a very interesting and fascinating display.
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| The empty chair |
The exhibition was followed by Christmas Carols, Poetry and Musical Recital. We were accompanied on keyboard by our music director, Mary Tansey. We sang our hearts out and our voices reverberated throughout the Teachers Centre, delighting staff and the visiting teachers, attending an in-service course there.
To round off the afternoon, finger food and beverages were served. We all enjoyed convivial conversation, while enjoying the delicious goodies.
A big thank you to Mary Kyne who arranged the, very enjoyable, event so well. Mary, we really appreciate all you have done for us!
Margaret Quigley