Christmas Past in the Present

We've had the tree decorated for about a week, now, and as we were hanging the ornaments I remarked to Jack how much fun it is to remember where we got each one.

We don't have a fancy tree.  The ornaments have been collected over the years as we've traveled here and there.  The children all had personal ornaments, too, but they have those, now.

So I'll share a few that have special meaning to us.

Lollipop and Bear

These two were crafted by one of my best friends when we lived in Kansas.

Our neighborhood held a Christmas Boutique and Debbie made these little bears and lollipops.  The bears were adorned with tiny French knots.

For Emma our 1st Grandchild

Dear Emma.  She has grown into a beautiful girl with a kind heart and a passion for horses.  Seventeen years old...my goodness!

On the other hand, she can be a rascal...Jack would say she gets that from me.

Hand Painted Sea Otter Ornament

One year when we visited Pebble Beach on the Monterrey Peninsula, I found this adorable hand painted ornament. It's a Sea Otter...if you look closely you can see its cute little face.

Great message!

Money collected from the sale of the ornament went to a fund for the protection of these sea otters.

"I get by with a little 'kelp' from my friends"!

Seriously, how could I resist??

This pretty little Belleek dove with a shamrock in its beak was a gift from my mother a long time ago.  I just love it.





Some of my other favorite Christmas keepsakes include:

San Francisco Cable Car

A San Francisco Cable Car...from a trip to that amazing city.

A Pickle from Pittsburg

...and a pickle from Pittsburgh.

The Heinz company is headquartered there.  I worked in their corporate marketing department when we lived there.   The Heinz pickle is a much coveted souvenir....pickle ornaments, pickle mugs, pickle t-shirts....you  name it & you can get one with a pickle on it!

A red knitted bell....my mother made dozens of them.  Red, white, green...

Very special.

Allie the Alligator

We traveled to Hilton Head Island (off the coast of South Carolina) for several family holidays while the kids were in school.  We had the best times!   We stayed at Palmetto Dunes which is one of many resort areas.  There was a canal that ran through that area and if you stood on the bridge in the late afternoon you could see an alligator (or maybe it was a crocodile...) swimming lazily along.  The kids named him "Allie" (of course!) and we found this adorable ornament for a souvenir.  Notice the red bow tied around his snout?

One year I bought a kit for creating ornaments.  There were sequins and ribbons and braid.  This is one of the few that I have left.






On a whim one October a few years ago, Jack and I decided to drive out to Colorado.  We hadn't spent much time there...just passed through a few times...and the weather was perfect.  The Aspen trees were simply breathtaking...all golden and shimmery.  Jack finally said to me, "If you say 'Isn't that GORGEOUS?' ONE MORE TIME, I'm going leave you at the next stop!  To be honest, I probably wouldn't have minded.  I'm not kidding...Colorado is spectacular in autumn!

Gold plated Aspen Leaf

Well, this is an actual aspen leaf that's been dipped in gold.  It's much prettier than it appears in this photograph.

Here is one of the few ornaments we have left from the days when the children's art projects covered most of the Christmas tree!  I think this was a school project when Jennie was little...making a reindeer out of clothespins!

One of our housesitting assignments was in a suburb of Dallas, Texas so we did lots of "touristy" things while we were there.  Does anyone remember the television series "Dallas"?  Well, Southfork, the Ewing ranch, was located near there.  One day we decided to take a tour.  I bought this pottery boot as a souvenir for some silly reason.

Olympic National Park

We've visited my family in Washington state many, many times.  This little wooden ornament reminds me of our trips to the Olympic National Park!

Victoria, BC

Victoria, British Columbia....

Jack & Cheryl, sort of...

Oh, and here's a personalized mooooving tribute to the Minnesota State Fair!

A Steeplechase in Pittsburgh

While living in Pennsylvania, Jack and I volunteered to work at a Steeplechase.  It was a fundraiser for a charity and great fun!  You probably already know this but a steeplechase is a horse race that's run across open country and riders must clear obstacles/hurdles such as hedges, fences, water courses, etc.  This was my choice for a souvenir of that day.

Daughter of Sky Woman

I still need to post more photos of the "Girls' Weekend" that my three friends and I enjoyed in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  I promise to do that.  In the meantime, this is a beautiful hand painted Christmas ornament that I purchased while there.

The artist's name is Lee Claremont and this painting is "Daughter of Sky Woman".   This photo doesn't do it justice...

I could go on and on but I won't.  I'll just share this quote from the late astronaut, James Irwin, during the exploration of Apollo 15:

"The Earth reminded us of a Christmas tree ornament hanging in the blackness of space.  As we got farther and farther away it diminished in size.  Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine."

Isn't that beautiful?