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| this year's ornament from Lancaster PA 2018 |
As I haven't really digested 2018, I'm going to skip the yearly recap and instead talk about some of my Christmas ornaments. I put my tree up last night and it was just as lovely on 30 December as it usually is a month earlier.
Found some gift bags that were sewn by Cris Weed~one of my favorite soprano friends. Since she is no longer around, I will treasure them even more. 1996.
I have box of these polished brass notes that a student in Tracy found at a garage sale EONS ago. She polished them up and tied red thread to all of them. 1994
From my student time in England~that tin had the best toffees. 1989
Probably my fav ornament~peanut reindeer made by my siblings. c 1990
Paper mache heart from my high school/college roommate. 1988
Lovely ornament from Barb~my college boss in several departments during my PUC years. 1990-93
White House ornament from the Obama years; this was when I came back here with my Texas kids for a history tour~never dreaming I'd be living the Beltway life! 2104
Cute lil fish from the Monterey Aquarium. It's odd how so many of my ornaments have bittersweet connections. I got this on a birthday trip just after a relationship ended and I was devastated. I went to the beach to grieve. My dad drove down and we went to the aquarium for a truly fun day~when I purchased this ornament. 2002
One of my favorite~Swedish glass from the Christmas Shoppe in San Francisco. 1986.
Not sure what year this was, but it was a droopy one as I wanted a tear drop for my ornament. :)
From my Mondavi supervisor who thought I was elegant. 2001
Purple glass heart from the Sonoma Square~one of those perfect days with good friends, food, and scenery. 2017
From my mom the year I got back from Newbold. 1990.
Yes, I did get this from the Miracle an 34th Street Macy's! Grad school years 2007-2009
From a Lincoln City glass shop~1991?
NEW ORLEANS!!! Still one of my best birthdays ever. 2012.
The very first ornament that kicked off this yearly collection.
Because nothing says festive like a monument to death and defeat~the Alamo. 2013.
Do you know how RARE it is to find my name?
My sad little broken ferry egg. Seattle 2010.
Carnegie Hall!!!! 2009
Yes, it's a tacky tourist ornament. But I was there on a very cold December in 2010.
I also love these little block teddy bears from my siblings.
One of the more recent ones~an original by Josh. 2016.
My tree is up. My heart is merry. I look forward to seven more festive days before it gets stored. Wishing all of you a joyous and healthy 2019!!
But we all know the real new year happens in either September with a new school year, or in February when Chinese New Year kicks off. :) Nice to have so many fresh starts.
How cool is that - to put up a tree in your lovely new place? Love the trip down memory's lane with your ornaments. Happy new year to a treasured niece (whom I've known since infancy)!
ReplyDeleteI waited ALL December for that moment! While it was nice to be at Linda's lovely home, I wanted to see my own ornaments.
DeleteHappy New Year's to a treasured aunt!!
Your apartment looks lovely. Glad you are settled in.
ReplyDeleteI still have my Herrods box, too, and some candies in it!
The original candies????? Let's get you some new ones.
DeleteI suppose after all these years, I ought to have all of these memorial ornaments but I don't. I rarely buy them for myself, except from thrift stores, and people never get them for me. I also haven't had a tree except the first year I was married, so that has something to do with it. Last year post-Thanksgiving people made ornaments and then left them at my house. They depict autumn, creation, and a circus, and other non-holiday things, because the people in my family are True Originals. Still, yours are very lovely and homey, and I'm happy you're enjoying winter holidays as you choose.
ReplyDeleteMy tree brings me such joy every year~even the years it falls over, or today when half the lights die. I like how quirky and whimsical it looks and all the memories that are evoked when I unwrap the ornaments.
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