Uncle Thor's Lessons, Anecdotes and Humor

One of my homecasting projects involves making Yule figurines. You may have seen such things, cast in lead or tin and painted in bright colors. They are a variety of items: ice skaters, skiers, Yule revelers, snowmen, etc. Every time I set up to do some casting, I make sure to do a few more Yule figures.

Yule is a long way off, what with it being mid-May. However, if I want to have enough items to sell, the work has to be done now. It takes a long time to cast, finish and paint that many items. So it is that among the tin soldiers and knights, I am adding the finishing touches to ice skaters and snowmen.

Most people only see the seasons in sequence. They do not see the things that happen in the background. For instance, most see Yule as an occasion at the end of December. They do not realize that the decorations and other seasonal items must be made well in advance of the actual holiday.

As a larger example, the American Toy Industry aims at the Yule buying season. The overwhelming majority of toys are bought as Yule presents. To do this, the industry holds its big Toy Fair in mid-February. New toys are presented at the fair. Buyers come to see the new items and place orders on the ones they prefer. Production of both toys and advertisements begins by March, and orders are usually shipping within a few months. Retailers try to have their Yule ads prepared by the end of July. Distribution to retailers generally winds down by the beginning of November.

Indeed, this preparation is like planting and harvesting. The initial work of this year’s harvest begins before the start of Spring. The harvest begins just prior to the Yule season. Though it is not run on the same schedule as planting, the principle is the same. Whether it is a hobbyist preparing Yule items or an industry mass-producing toys, it is all another example of the Jer Rune in action in the everyday world.