Monday, December 31, 2018

retrospect

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.

6 comments:

  1. 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)!

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    1. I waited ALL December for that moment! While it was nice to be at Linda's lovely home, I wanted to see my own ornaments.

      Happy New Year's to a treasured aunt!!

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  2. Your apartment looks lovely. Glad you are settled in.
    I still have my Herrods box, too, and some candies in it!

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    1. The original candies????? Let's get you some new ones.

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  3. I 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.

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    1. My 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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