Christmas Ornaments - "Santas"

These Santas are just too cute. They reflect the sense of humor of the giver.

Christmas Ornaments - "San Francisco Tram"

I have been privileged to enjoy several memorable trips to San Francisco. Can any trip to SF be anything but memorable?

The scariest event took place on one of the trams. I was in SF for a Convention of Critical Car Nurses and several of us headed down to the waterfront one evening after a long day's session indoors. We inundated the place. There were so many of us on one tram that we were all hanging off the sides and holding on, just like in the movies. Suddenly the tram tried to stop. The brakes did not hold and we went sliding back down the hill. It was all too fast for anyone to jump off, so we just held on for dear life until we reached the bottom of the hill.

There was no screaming or panic....after all, we were all Critical Care Nurses....we figured no one could have been in better hands if something had happened.

Christmas Ornaments - "The Cornpopper"

This little cornpopper was originally a key ring but, with the key ring holder removed, it makes a very nice Christmas ornament. DH and I discovered a whole wall of similar miniature toys at an Amish store when we visited a small town in Illinois. The cornpopper reminded us of the one we bought in the early years of our first child. She could hold on to the handle and feel she had enough support to take a few steps on her own. The machine sent the enclosed balls "popping up" in the small dome with a most satisfying noise. Well, it was satisfying to her, but very annoying to us. Nevertheless, it served the purpose and continued to serve our family for several years. We did learn to buy quieter toys.

Christmas Ornaments - "An Angel for Grandpa John"

This little angel looks mad. but that is just the way she came. I belonged to an club for RNs when we first moved here. Their yearly project was to make and sell angels for Hospice. Each angel had the name of the honored person and hung on the Hospice tree for the Christmas season, then the ornament

was given to the donor.

This one was for Grandpa John. He never had children of his own and was very excited when he married DH's mother and acquired an instant family. We all loved him!

Grandpa John had plenty of stories to tell, but I only got to hear a few. He had a world of experiences including a stint as a boxer (he was known as K.O. Rutherford). John served in WWII as a Radioman and received an injury that ended his military career.....so many stories....I'll leave them for another time.....

Christmas Ornaments - "Beading"

This is a close-up of a small ornament made by DD-Kr. It is about 1-1/2" in diameter and intricately hand beaded. She says beading is "relaxing" for her.

Christmas ornaments - "Pinocchio"

I brought this little fellow home from a hiking trip in Italy.
I also brought these home for my grandchildren's yearly ornament. Every year I give each child an ornament for the tree. One day, when they leave home and begin their own traditions, they will have a start on memorable ornaments for their trees. This is a tradition I started with my children but those were mostly handmade ornaments. I spent my waiting time (swim meets, practices, etc.) sewing.

Christmas Ornaments - "Alaska"

These lovely ceramic ornaments were gifts from DD-Kr who lived in Alaska for about 15 years.

Two of them feature works by one of my favorite Alaskan artists, Barbara LaValle. The scenes capture some family memories. Of the first one, top left, she said - "we never lived in snowy climates, but I imagined that we would have all been trying this out, if we had."

Christmas Ornaments - "Ecuador"

These intricate, colorful ornaments are made of bread dough in Ecuador. We have had them for about 40 years. That is an amazing length of time when you consider the number of miles they have traveled and the number of times they have been brought out to grace our Christmas tree. The Indian looking guy is in several items we have from Ecuador, including a carved wooden head. I do not know the history of the Indian image.

I know, the word Indian is not politically correct, but it certainly doesn't seem right to call him a native American when he is from Peru. Does anyone have any ideas?

_________________________

Uncle Dan,

I have only known them as Quechua Indians, with an Incan heritage. I certainly never saw any dress like this one.

"Those who speak Quechua as their first language are called Quechua Indians by the dominant Spanish-speaking cultures. However, most Quechua speakers, who live in numerous distinct cultural groups, prefer to identify themselves with their Inca heritage. The Quechua refer to themselves as Runa, 'the people'."

Christmas Ornaments - "Girl Scouts"

Girl Scouting was a tremendous influence in my life. Not as a child, since I was not included in the troop when it split and we never did find a leader.

When we returned from Australia, DD-Kr entered 3rd grade. The first week of school, she was invited to join a GS troop. That was a defining moment in the life of our family. We all participated in GS activities for the next 15 or so years. There was support for girls and women in all areas of the Scouting movement and I saw many people changed by this support. My own girls benefited greatly. These were a few of the ornaments given to me in exchanges and for thank-yous. Just hanging them every year brings a flood of memories - people, activities, events, and emotions.

If you have never worked with girls and adults in Scouting, give it a go.

"Find the gift in every child."

Christmas Ornaments _ Peruvian Dancers"

These tiny Peruvian dancers are only about 1-1/2" tall. They are so intricate and remind me of happy times when we visited Cuzco, Peru. The people of the villages were constantly working with their hands. This handcrafted pair, although quite inexpensive for me. probably provided an additional necessity (or maybe a luxury) for its maker.

Christmas ornaments - "Hearts & and an Angel"

Ornaments bought on a trip to a beautiful church in Santa Fe New Mexico. It also housed a children's school.

Lovely glass hearts in DH's favorite color. These remind me of the fragility of life and love, both of which should be embraced with enthusiasm. The clay angel was made by a blind girl. The clerk told me there were other pieces all in one color; this one had obviously been made from several remnants of different colored clay. I preferred this one. It sings of the melding of diversities in our lives.

Christmas ornaments - "Korea"

The Korean teens love to hang these on their cell phones, backpacks, zippers, etc. I love to hang it on my Christmas tree and recall a fun trip to Seoul to visit my DIL's mother.

Christmas Ornaments - "Kokopelli"

DH and I chose this brightly colored, enameled metal figure of Kokopelli as a souvenir of a wonderful trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kokopelli appears everywhere and has become a popular symbol for the tourist trade. The colors on this piece figure prominently in most of the Southwest art. They are reminiscent of the red earth and blazingly beautiful sunsets. You can't help but be happy when you look at Kokopelli. This one seems to have a bag of presents on his back, or prehaps he is off to prepare the earth for Spring planting.

Kokopelli
Ko-ko-pel-li (kô kô pel´ lê) n. {der. Hopi "kokopilau" (koko = wood, pilau = hump)} the humpbacked Flute Player, mythical Hopi symbol of fertility, replenishment, music, dance, and mischief. The mysterious Kokopelli character is found in a number of Native American cultures. He is especially prominent in the Anazasi culture of the "Four Corners" area. The figure represents a mischievous trickster or the Minstrel, spirit of music. Kokopelli is distinguished by his dancing pose, a
hunchback and flute. His whimsical nature, charitable deeds, and vital spirit give him a prominent position in Native American mysticism. Kokopelli has been a sacred figure to Native Americans of the Southwestern United States for thousands of years. Found painted and carved on rock walls and boulders throughout this region, Kokopelli is one of the most intriguing and widespread images to have survived from ancient Anasazi Indian mythology, and is a prominent figure in Hopi and Zuni legends. Kokopelli is also revered by current-day descendants including the Hopi, Taos and Acoma pueblo peoples.
Kokopelli is considered a symbol of fertility who brought well-being to the people, assuring success in hunting, planting and growing crops, and human conception. His "hump" was often considered a bag of gifts, a sack carrying the seeds of plants and flowers he would scatter every spring. Warming the earth by playing his flute and singing songs, Kokopelli would melt the winter snow and create rain, ensuring a good harvest. Kokopelli often displayed a long phallus, symbolizing the fertile seeds of human reproduction.

Christmas Ornaments - "Memories of Japan"

Miniature getas and an origami mamasan, souvenirs of a memorable trip to Japan with our two older children.

Christmas Ornaments - "A Handprint"

A precious handprint from my firstborn grandson, Ch.

Christmas Ornaments - "Absent Tea"

A treasured ornament from my sister. We chat by phone but seldom have schedules that mesh for meeting. After I moved back to Houston with DH and children, we would make it a point to get together at least once a week.We both lived in Houston, but there were 38 miles between our houses. We managed to play one game of Scrabble each time we got together. With seven children between us, it took all day to play that one game.

Christmas Ornaments - "Nutcracker King"

I bought this shiny, jaunty, nutcracker King to cheer DH when he was in the hospital in Houston.

Christmas Ornaments - " A Babe in a Quilt"

I bought this at the Houston "Quilt Festival" one year. The little china-doll baby is wrapped in a small square made from a vintage quilt. What a wonderful way to rescue some of a precious quilt that is otherwise unusable and not really salvageable.

Christmas Ornaments - "Three Lanterns"

I think these are really Chinese, but they remind me of the 1 1/2 years my family lived in Okinawa. The first lantern appeared on a Christmas package from my sister one year.

Christmas Ornaments - "A Real Lady"

A real ray of sunshine...the giver as well as the ornament. We are "the Three Musketeers" - sharing birthdays in the same year, sharing our religious convictions, and sharing similar losses. We find strength in our friendship....but not much time to share lunch.