Aluminum Tree

Was at the Minnesota's Greatest Generation exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul yesterday. This display made me think of Grandma Alice's aluminum Christmas tree from the 1960s.

Christmas 1966 - Christmas with the Cousins

My cousin Deb, in the middle, is holding me. Diane is on the left and Danny is on the right. Photos taken at Grandma and Grandpa's apartment above their bakery in Two Harbors.

Christmas 1966 - At Grandpa Lou and Grandma Alice's

Christmas in Two Harbors. Grandma Alice and Grandpa Louie hadn't moved into their house on 6th Avenue yet. When these photos were taken they were living in an apartment above their bakery.

Top photo: Aunt Alice Mae photographs me along with the cousins.

Middle photo: Uncle Dale is on the far left.

Bottom photo: Grandma gets a shot too.

Christmas 1969 - Opening Presents at Grandma Alice and Grandpa Lou's House Part 1

Top photo: Aunt Alice Mae and Uncle Jack holding newborn Sam.

Middle photo: Grandpa Louie in the middle of it all.

Bottom photo: Grandma Alice helps cousin Danny with a present.

Christmas 1971 - Grandpa Lou and Grandma Alice

Grandpa Lou and Grandma Alice at their house for Christmas 1971 in Two Harbors. Grandpa is drinking Grain Belt beer and smoking Pall Malls. Their chiguagua Tiny is on Grandpa's lap.

Christmas 1988 - Dad and Uncle Dale

A rare photo of Dad and Uncle Dale together. Here they are at Grandma Alice and Grandpa Louie's house.

Christmas 1988 - Grandma Alice

Grandma Alice with grandson Sam to the left and Pete to the right. Three of her great-grandchildren, all Debbie and Larry's kids, are also in the picture.

Christmas 1988 - Cousin Diane

Here's my cousin Diane and her other boy at Grandma Alice and Grandpa Lou's house.

Christmas 1988 - Sam

Because Grandpa Les was having health trouble and in the hospital in Duluth in 1988 we decided to spend Christmas in Two Harbors for the first time since 1971. In the photo above is Sam and one of my cousin Diane's boys at Grandma Alice and Grandpa Lue's house.

Christmas 1996 - Grandpa Louie

Grandpa Louie died in early 1997 so the Christmas of 1996 was his last. I have fond memories of holidays with both him and Grandma Alice in Two Harbors and spending time in the bakery they owned together.

Christmas 1998 - Christmas Cash

Grandma Alice sent money in these Christmas card "wallets" similar to the one shown here every year. The portrait of the president on the money would appear through the oval at the bottom of the card. Only her name (and not Grandpa Louis's) is signed on this card. Grandpa died in 1997 and Grandma Alice's last Christmas was 1999, so this one is probably from 1998. I remember when I was much younger Sam and I would walk to the bank on Nicollet Avenue to deposit our money that we had received from our grandparents. One year shortly after Christmas Day I remember the bank teller told me that she was impressed how many kids were coming in to deposit what was obviously their Christmas cash.

Christmas 1999 - Grandma Alice

Sadly, Christmas 1999 was Grandma Alice's last. I have many fond memories of her including those early Christmases I spent with her and Grandpa Louie up in Two Harbors.

Christmas 2000 - Dad and Uncle Dale

Uncle Dale, my dad's brother, spent Christmas Eve with us between the years 2000 and 2006. I spent my first five or six Christmases with him at Grandpa Louie and Grandma Alice's house in Two Harbors. He continued to spend Christmas with them until Grandma Alice died in early 2000. Dad died in early 2007. He always brought interesting gifts like commemorative plates, Reader's Digest condensed books and sometimes even lottery tickets.

Gifts - Colorful Pots and Pans

My earliest Christmases (late 1960's/early 1970's) were spent at my grandparent's houses in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Grandma Alice and Grandpa Louie owned a bakery there which they operated from the mid-1950's to 1981. Grandpa Les worked for the railroad but retired around this time and Grandma Jean stayed at home. Jean and Les also owned a cabin on 40 acres of land about eleven miles just outside of town. I loved going to two Harbors and visiting all of them at their houses but also loved spending time at the bakery and cabin.

It was about 1971 and Mom, Dad, Sam and I were up in Two Harbors for Thanksgiving. I remember sitting on a big unopened bucket of lard in the storage room by the back entrance of the bakery. My brother Sam and I were paging through Grandma Alice's Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog and looking at Christmas toys. What I decided I wanted most was something the catalog called Colorful Pots and Pans. They were big colorful plastic toys modeled after kitchen items but with faces on them. There was a skillet, coffee pot, saucepan, etc. I never got them and I don't remember feeling too disappointed. Once we got back to Minneapolis I'm sure I came up with something I wanted even more.

This past weekend my friend Noel and I were putzing around a Minneapolis antique store and I stumbled upon what is pictured here. If this isn't the actual product I saw in that Montgomery Ward catalog then it's eerily close!