Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas : Tampa, Florida 1973

This ornament has seen better days. Kinda like us! We made them for our Christmas tree when Far Guy was stationed at MacDill AFB in Tampa in 1973. A few soda pop tops wired together and dipped in some kind of pretty burgundy red goop made for a half way decent looking ornament. We made several, we probably used that goop all up. This is the only surviving ornament handmade from that year.

We bought our first bright red string covered Styrofoam Christmas ornaments that year, I have several of them left. They were the kind that if you snagged them they began to unravel..once they started to unravel there was no stopping them, until you are left with a naked ball. Who ever designed them obviously had never put them on a real tree, or tested them in a household with children. Maybe they were designed to unravel, for repeat customers. They were a safe ornament in our house with a curious small child, unraveling string can be great entertainment.

I loved Christmas in Florida, it was warm. Far Guy went swimming in the Gulf that Christmas Day, just because he could. Trica and I fed the gulls on the beach! She loved them, and giggled the entire time.

Some of our memories from back then include two local TV commercials that were favorites of Trica's. She loved words. She was not quite two years old. She was quite enamored with two commercials and would recite them for us. "Chick Smith Ford in Sparkling DownTown Clearwater" and "Learn to Play Guitar with Kenny Rogers." We know how things went for Kenny, but I have always wondered about Chick. Memories from a long time ago, moments in time. Just like the memory of making this ornament out on a patio in the warm weather just before Christmas in 1973:)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, what a lovely warm memory!

Lovely!

flydragon said...

Your daughter was evidently quite smart too, if she could recite that at only 2 years old. What great memories you have. Not just this post but all of them.

Jeanne Estridge said...

My first married Christmas was 1974 -- poorer than dirt and just awakening to the realization that having a child meant not getting to be one anymore. I still have a Styrofoam boot covered with red glitter from a pack that my mom-in-law bought us so we'd have something on our tree.

Andrea said...

Your post paints such a vivid and lovely picture for me! Love it! And your ornament is from the year I was born....so I think it's pretty nifty too!! ;)

Anonymous said...

What precious memories. Funny about ol' Chick too! I pulled out some old black & white photos today and looked back at your post yesterday. I'm pretty sure it's the same crocheted doilies, curtains, and 8 X 10 photos!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I know my mom has several ornaments on her tree that I made as a child - so they are now around 30 years old (as I quickly approach 40).

I am looking forward to the Altered Books - but have got to get my butt in gear preparing my book!

Chrissy said...

I like the fact that you've kept that ornament all these years. It's nice to have special memories attached to each of the ornaments that are hung on the tree.

Pamela said...

I love the technique you employ: Red goop.
Oh yeah!!!