12th Night

The Three Kings came and left their presents, a coffee press for daughter, wine stoppers for husband and a lovely heart with cross for me. Now I need a gold chain for it. I hope I don't have to wait for my March birthday!!

 I promised photos of my favorite ornaments and here are two. This one  is handmade and was purchased at a church bazaar. I admire the maker so much. About 5-6 years ago I took a class in smocking. I fell in love with the look when we visited the China Fleet Club in Hong Kong.  I should have known I could NEVER achieve the look the chinese achieved on those dresses.  I have three of these ornaments but I just love the candy canes on this one.

John and I were married on December 29
1962 and for Christmas 1963 we were on the road
to California for US Navy orders to attend USC for Safety Officers. While living in Los Angeles for four months we visited former squadron mates in San Diego and even went to Tijuana. I did not get out the Mexican ornaments this year.We returned by way of San Francisco and the Rocky Mountains to Jacksonville,  FLorida to pick up our sailboat and tow it to Norfolk for the next duty station. 

The little cable car is a fond memory of cioppino, jumping on and off cable cars, the zig-zag street, Horchows and the great market place. 

Next to the cable car has to be one of my most favorites. The photo is not the best but try to see my aviator in his flight suit in the almost 50 years ago style. His goggles are adorable and I always give him a smooch as I hang him on the tree.

What are your favorites?  I am fascinated by what we put on our trees.

One good memory

I was photographing the tree for my favorite ornament photo for today when I got a tiny bit sentimental. I got down one of many photo boxes to look for past Christmas pictures. But I found this instead,This is my mother and I in spring 1943 on the front porch of 14 Lenox Place, Staten Island, New York. I know the address so well after all these years because I was taught it and I had it engraved on a locket I wore all of the time. My father was in the south pacific, and my mother and I lived with my grandparents during the war. Mother worked as a secretary in New York. My grandmother told me she knitted and sewed mother and daughter outfits for us, and argyle socks. I was very inquisitive and I think the look I was getting from her had to do with my hand on her knitting bag.  I do not ever remember her with a knitting needle in her hands. But she often remarked that she was glad I knew how to knit. She lived her last 35 years in Key West, Florida. It was too hot for knitted wear so I never knit for her.  My daughter thought the photo had a scratch but we determined it was the wool hanging from the needle. How thin it seems.

12 Days of Christmas

I am always amazed at the Christmas trees at the curbside on December 26.  My family felt December 25 was the Christ Mass and January 6 was the day of gifts, the day the Wise Men came. They bowed to  tradition and we had many gifts on December 25 but always had a special gift on January 6th. I've always enjoyed the tree more after the 25th when I could sit and remember the occasion for each precious ornament and laugh with the family over the silly ones. Since we traveled so much the tree has ornaments from all duty stations and travels around the world. 

For years I succumbed to collecting various versions of Father Christmas.  Friends and family gifted me with many selections. Soon they were too many and the real joy  got a little lost in the abudance. So I pared down by sharing the collection. This one is my favorite, a gift from my daughter. He is about 30 inches tall. I wish I had his coat but I would settle
for the gloves. They are so plush. The little lamb will be a remembrance of the yarn share I have purchased from the Martha's Vinyard Fiber Farm. Every time I looked at him I thought of the newborns growing their coats (my fiber) and dreamed of yarn to be.

Our Christmas was special for the friends who shared it with us. We made topiaries and kissing balls, wreaths and a gingerbread house. I could not help with the house as I was the recipient of the Christmas Cold. I am just getting around again, what a doozy it was. But the house, well the house was just perfect!

Tomorrow I will try to show you one or two of my favorite ornaments of 50 years of collecting. I'll be caught up on my photos and ready for the Three Kings. Would they bring us frankincense and myrrh or even a little gold to help the economy? But no, I'll settle for peace and well-being for you and your loved ones, and for all the peoples of our earth.