#4 - Christmas Memories - The Twelve Photos of Christmas Past

 The favourite ornament

Christmas tree, 2006, with some favourite ornaments

You know, you have them too, at least one, anyways.  There you are, trimming the tree with the traditional decorations, and you pull that one special one out of the box, and are immediately transported in your mind to some far-away place.  Then someone notices you and this favoured item, and a conversation begins.

"I remember that!  I love that one.  Mommy, where did this come from?"

"It came from your Grandmother, dear.  I have had that since I was a girl."

"It's so beautiful.  One day, I want to have one just like it."  

"There are two of them, you know.  A blue one, and a green one.  When you are older, each of you can have one and put it on your own tree."

"That won't be for a long time, will it Mommy?"

"No, darling.  Not for a long time."

And so, every year, that same special ornament becomes the centerpiece for both a memory and a promise.  

I have highlighted nine different ornaments we decorate our tree with, some of them are gone now, passed on to our own children (this photo was taken 18 years ago).  Each one comes with a special memory.

  1. A cross stitch ornament made by Kathryn.
  2. A craft item made by the kids when visiting their Uncle at Christmas.
  3. A cool egg-shaped craft where the inside hosts a Christmas theme.
  4. The cork horse - a favourite of my wife and daughter.
  5. A Christmas bear bought at the Christmas Store in Leavenworth, Washington during one of our memorable summer camping trips.
  6. A Christmas star - can't remember where it came from.
  7. Made by one of the kids at Daycare - their name is written on the back.
  8. A gingerbread man made by our kids one Christmas with cinnamon and apple sauce - it still has a nice smell to it
  9. A glass angel made by inmates, I bought a set of them one year from someone at the school I taught at.
I am sure you have your own special collection and memories.  Perhaps you will share one or two with me in the comments.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I found a black widow spider in a plant pot today

Image
The spider I found is a western black widow spider, one of three species of black widow that occur in North America.  The fact that this one has another red patch on the back of its abdomen above the spinnerettes tells us that it is an immature individual. The one thing that people know about black widow spiders is that they are extremely poisonous.  Their venom is something like 15x more toxic than that of a rattlesnake.  The saving grace is that there is very little venom injected from a black widow bite than what a rattlesnake can deliver.   The good news is that black widow bites seldom lead to death.  You are more likely to suffer nausea, muscle pain, and swelling around the bite.  Symptoms usually last only 12 hours or so.  Death may be a result in people with compromised immune systems or in the very young or the elderly.   In 2018, it was reported that there were 1015 cases of people bitten by black widows.  Of those, there ...
Read more

The passing of a generation

Image
Kathryn's mom and dad with our children, Josh and Leanne. A generation, for North America, tends to be between 20 and 30 years.  During that time a couple will give birth and raise children to see them repeat the pattern as they themselves have done.  Each generation has its own set of standards, values, and ideals based upon their experiences and culture, and some of that is passed down to their offspring.  What changes are the life experiences of the following generation and the new customs and ideals that are blended together as a couple becomes a family. Kathryn's mom passed away a few days ago, she was predeceased by her husband several years ago.  Both of them were the grandparents of my children, the mother and father of my wife, Kathryn.  It was my pleasure to know them and to love them as my own, for to me they were Mom and Dad.  And they were there to welcome my children into the world just as my children were with them in spirit when they left it...
Read more

Hang in there, things will get better.

Image
The Svendsen Family - Eric, Samuel, Leanne, Joshua (top row), Nora, Kathryn, Chanelle, Emma If I could go back, in my mind, to a day in my life when I was really down, it would be nice to be able to see into the future.  If could see things as they are today, with the many blessings that have been given to me, it would give me hope knowing that things wouldn't always be so discouraging.   The message here is we do not know what the future holds.  When things are bad, it is hard to raise your head out of the mire to see beyond the darkness.  There are no guarantees, of course, that things will be better, but I think it is true that fortunes ebb and flow as tides do.  The trick is to see beyond the low points and not be too haughty during the high ones.  I know that, at this moment, things are very good.  What the future holds is unknown, but low and high points are likely in the forecast.   This is why taking satisfaction from the moment ...
Read more