The big tree was not completed until Christmas Eve..the Grands along with their Mothers helped to finish it off.
They heard about the oldest ornament..
I showed them how the Shiny Brites are marked with their names on the top of the metal cap..and how the polish ones have a different crimped cap.
I told them about how some colors are plentiful, there are many red, silver and gold ornaments. Orange and purple ones are few and far between. There is a beautiful aquamarine blue color..I have a few..
It is a tree filled with childhood memories. Minus the messy tinsel. Mixed with memories of trips to antique shops and garage sales, sprinkled with gifts from friends who understand the obsession and with new memories of little hands gently reaching for ornaments. Someday perhaps the Grands will see a Shiny Brite and say “Hey, that reminds me of my Grandma.” There are worse things that you can be remembered for.
It will take many days to de decorate..but I am not quite ready to put it all back in it’s coffin yet:)
It's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWay to go! Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJust leave it up a little while longer, it is so pretty
ReplyDeletei have been giving my grandkids and nieces and nephews an ornament each year. they get one until they are 21. i hope when i'm gone and they are decorating their trees they will think of me
ReplyDeleteI love that tree, it is so pretty. All but one of my shiny brights are near duplicates of childhoodmemory or ones I just plain liked. Only one comes directly from my childhood. It is worn out from being twirled, much of the color is gone, its a good thing, most likely it is why my sisters let me have it. My brother and I would spend hours twisting it and then letting it go. My mom hung her ornaments by string rather than metal hanger. It has sections like an orange,every other section is white flock the rest are different colors. We delighted in watching the whirl of color. The only ones I remember that I haven't found to replicate are her clear colored glass ones. Pinkish color and horizontal stripes. But I only find what I can find in retail stores, I never thought of going to garage sales or antique stores to find actual old ones. Well, until I met you that is.
ReplyDeleteHey, on getting old... Bet had us watch Benjamin Button last night. I'm glad Dirt is lookin' old. And me too.
Wow - that's a lot of lovely ornaments!
ReplyDeleteIt is beautiful - I am in no hurry this year to take my tree down - I wonder if it has to do with the company of memories.... Wow over 400 ornaments - that is a "grand" tree!
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful, and I love the old ornaments, we have some from the hubbies grandmother that passed away over 15 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThat is probably the most beautiful tree I've seen this year. It is brimming with shiny brites and ornaments to make it just the best. And your pictures do tell a great tale. I hope also that your grands will remember you through your Christmas tree, along with all the rest of your amazing talents!
ReplyDeleteLots and lots of shiny brights- so pretty!
ReplyDeleteWow. That's a lot of ornaments!
ReplyDeleteAnd a beautiful tree. Thanks for sharing its story. :-)
Your Shiny Brites always remind me of my childhood trees. We have one or two that look like them but I think are a different brand. I love your tall tree and would not be in any hurry to take it down!
ReplyDeleteI love those ornaments. I remember my grandma having some very old glass ornaments that disappeared over time (and I'm sure aunts and uncles took them to their tree when she passed away).
ReplyDeleteOur oldest ornament is from 1990. But, they all have stories to tell.
Such a beautiful tree and memories. No rules about when it has to come down - just enjoy looking at all your neat finds!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!!!!! That is a Christmas tree filled with memories and making new ones.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is really beautiful. That 2nd ornament looks really familiar. I am pretty sure we had one when I was a child. Sure wish I knew what happened to all my mom's ornaments!
ReplyDeleteAs alway, it is a beautifully decorated tree!
ReplyDeleteOooh. I've got one like your inset, a bequest from my favorite aunt. It goes at the top of the tree, out of reach of little hands.
ReplyDeleteI love it with just the Shiny Brites. It's beautiful. I would be in no rush to get it all put away either because it's going to take a while no matter what speed you go.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful. I never knew the shiny brites had their names on the cap. I will keep my eye out for them this summer when I hit the garage sales!
ReplyDeleteThe Duchess
Susan Boyle
ReplyDeleteSimon Cowell sneered and the huge audience at the “Britain’s Got Talent” show made the sort of faces associated with a bad smell. The object of their disaffection was contestant No. 43212, a plain, middle-aged woman from Scotland with bushy eyebrows and a dress and hairdo that might have been stylish when Dwight Eisenhower was president.
The looks of disdain would shortly turn to tears of sheer elation, as Dawna Friesen said in a report filed for TODAY Wednesday. But first, there was the Cowell torture test for the woman to endure.
“What’s your name, darling?” Cowell said, his tone dripping with condescension.
The woman, who seemed somewhat unnerved by the bright lights and the big crowd in the concert hall where the show was recorded, said she was Susan Boyle. She said she was 47 years old, unemployed, and lived alone with her cat, Pebbles. She had never gone on a date and had never been kissed, she added in a thick brogue.
420 .. OH MY!
ReplyDeleteWho do you think will carry on the tradition?
Once they only remember how you loved them so?
(kind of a macabre question)
A very Happy new year to you n ur family , loved going thru ur wonderful blog !!!
ReplyDelete- Smita
www.littlefoodjunction.blogspot.com
(fun foods for little eaters
Your tree and ornaments are wonderful. I like the simplicity of it without lights. Too bad you can't leave it up all year.
ReplyDeleteI too remember my mother's ornaments. The indented ones. The string of lights that bubbled when the got warm. Good things.
ReplyDeletePutting all this away? Oh good grief that is going to be a big job and I only put out a third of the stuff I have.
I don't think we have any really old ornaments on our tree, although some of the boxes look quite old, but if they came with memories, well I've forgotten them already.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I mentioned to Meredith about taking a box of similar ornaments off at a time, and came back in later to find the tree stripped, wow!
Your 'tall' tree is just beautiful, I can't imagine! I knocked down my little seven foot today. I crack up every time ya talk about your tree coffin'!!! :o)
ReplyDeleteGod bless ya and have a marvelous evening!!!