Minnesota State Fair 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

First-Prize Winning Christmas Tree at the Ag/Hort. Building

Silver Christmas Ornaments at the West End Market

Christmas Season 2012 - Mom's Tree

Mom decorated her tree with some of her famous cross-stitched hearts. 

Christmas Season 2012 - The Tree

I did not have the time or energy to decorate the tree as elaborately as I usually do.  This year I only hung the Christmas balls.  It turned out to be understated and still quite lovely.  Dale particularly liked it.

Ornaments off the Tree - February 2012

Last year I had the ornaments off the tree by January 30. This year they're all off by today, Groundhog Day. The tree itself didn't come down last year until Feb. 27. Let's see if I can beat that this year.

Christmas 2011 - Decorating the Tree

I got a few ornaments on the tree tonight. I'm far from being done but at least it's a start!

Christmas 1976 - Bicentennial Ornament

This is the ornament that I got in my shoe on St. Nicholas Day in 1976. It commemorates the Bicentennial.

Christmas 1979 - Pete's Tree

Pete displays his ornaments and his tree. He's 4 years old here.

Christmas 1979 - Joe's Tree

I'm sure this tree was obtained from Grandpa Les and Grandma Jean's cabin outside Two Harbors. As part of our Thanksgiving visit we would usually cut down a big tree for our living room and one or two smaller trees for our bedrooms before we journeyed home. This tree displays many of the ornaments I got in my shoe on St. Nicholas Day. I like the goofy look on my face in the top picture. You can tell I'm trying to be precise about how that ornament is going to hang. I still do that now!

Christmas 2011 - Squire House Gardens

My friend Noel and I went to Squire House Gardens in Afton this past Saturday for their annual holiday open house. We've made a point to go every year for a least a decade and Martin, the owner, is always gracious and glad to see us. The open house is a chance to see their holiday merchandise and listen to live music (this year it was and accordianist). They served cheese and crackers, mulled wine and hot apple cider. I bought a few glass ornaments.

Christmas 1980 - Joe's Tree

I had my own artificial tree but in 1980 I had a real tree in my room. Kris Kringle had been giving Sam, Pete and me ornaments in our shoes every year on St. Nicholas' Day since we were babes. On this tree hangs many of those ornaments. Note the Close Encounters of the Third Kind frisbee hanging on the wall.

Christmas 1984 - Pete's Tree

I used this plastic tree in my room starting in the early 70's. Here Pete is using it to display his ornaments.

Christmas 1993 - Dale and Joe's First Christmas Part 2

I bought this ornament to com-

memorate our first Christ-

mas together.

Christmas 1997 - Ornament

I found this robot ornament while doing Christmas shopping in 1997. I liked the retro look.

Christmas 1998 - Ornament

As kids, Sam, Pete and I alway got a Christmas ornament in our shoes for St. Nicholas Day. St. Nicholas Day falls on December 6th so on December 5th, just before bedtime, we'd always leave one of our shoes in the dining room. Good St. Nick always left an ornament. By the time I left home in 1990 I had quite a collection. Mom continued to buy us ornaments from time to time after we left home but we'd get them for Christmas presents and not on St. Nicholas Day. The ornament shown is based on a design by Frank Lloyd Wright. On the box I wrote "1998" so that's the year Mom gave it to me for Christmas. I have lots of other ornaments from her where I didn't note what year it came from so I'm not sure why I did for this particular ornament. Anyway, I hang it on my tree every year and I like how it picks up the light from the tree lights.

Mount Vernon 2011

Mom and I just got back from a trip to Virginia where we visited my brother Pete, his wife Stephanie, and their two children, Abby and Xander. We we all had the chance to visit Mount Vernon to tour the mansion and the grounds of the estate. It was beautiful. The gift shop had a 'Christmas corner' where I found the ornaments pictured here. I gave the glass ornament of the Mount Vernon mansion to Stephanie, the gingerbread Martha to Abby, and the gingerbread mansion to Xander. I also picked up the same ornament I gave to Stephanie for myself.

Mom's Heart Ornaments

Mom has always liked making things. She has made these heart ornaments for about the last 20 or 25 years. The cross-stitch patterns came from a book but it was her idea to incorporate the cross-stitch piece with a felt heart. She gives them as gifts to friends, co-workers, and neighbors. The two that you see here were given to me as gifts from Mom. The one on the left is one I've had for quite a few years. The one on the right was a Valentine's gift in 2011.