COURTLAND
Seasonal royalty returns to Western Tidewater next weekend. That’s when the Snow Queen of the former Miller & Rhodes Department Store in Richmond will visit The Peanut Patch on Route 58 in Courtland.

Donna Deekins has been invited back, and she’ll be at the shop on Sunday, Nov. 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the holiday open house, which takes place all that weekend.

She looks forward to meeting people who will remember going to the department store at Christmas time in years gone by. Deekens also hopes that many will bring their “Real Santa photos” to view and reminisce.

In addition to bringing her Miller & Rhoads-related books once more, Deeks is launching a new Miller & Rhoads “Santa and The Snow Queen” ornament.

She said this collector’s piece is by “TRC Designs” out of Manquin, a Virginia company that includes “Ginger Cottages,” “Nutcrackers USA” and customized ornaments.

“Owner Glenn Crider and his team have created a beautiful “Snowflake” that shows a cut-out photo of “The Real Santa and The Snow Queen” on one side, and on the back side it reads, “Miller & Rhoads, The Real Santa and The Snow Queen, Donna Strother Deekens,” plus the maker’s mark on the bottom.