An old friend

A long long time ago ..oh not that long it was about 1960.  I guess that makes it more than 50 years ago…back to the long long time ago.  I was 9 or 10 and in the 3rd or 4th grade riding Ivan Siegford’s bus to school.  Sandy was the last stop. She was  a real looker.  Blonde hair and a nice smile, on “Dress Up Days” at the high school she would wear heels, long dangly earrings and beautiful necklaces that matched whatever outfit she was wearing.  Sometimes she would sit with me, being the last person to board the bus seating was limited.  She must have been a freshman that year.  Then the bus route changed and she rode a different bus.

Years later she would find our Greenhouse and we would have wonderful visits about the school bus and life back in the 1960’s.  She loved dogs and always brought at least two of hers along with her when she got flowers.  She had no children. I shared with her how I admired her choices on Dress Up Days…she said she enjoyed those special days at school too and felt so grown up wearing high heels to school.

Then one spring she didn’t show up.  Somehow I had missed her obituary in the newspaper.  I never met her husband, but it would have been good to attend the funeral.  She died ten years ago in 2003 from some kind of cancer she was 57 years old.  Her husband died last winter.

There was an estate sale.  I was running on time to work and could not stop in the morning.  After work I stopped.  I saw a lady carrying two boxes of Shiny Brites..darn..too late.  I asked her if she was going to buy them, she replied “Oh no they were just sold I am holding them for a fellow.”

Turns out the fellow was Far Guy.

This is the first year my “Sandy” ornaments will join the Shiny Brite tree.

Dangly earrings, high heels, flowers, dogs and now Shiny Brites…all things that remind me of a friend so long ago

December 17, 2011

It is slow going, but the gifts that have been purchased have been wrapped.  We are still waiting for two more deliveries. 

I am working on the Shiny Brite Tree upstairs..it is a good thing we are not expecting overnight company.

The beds are full of ornaments and ornament boxes.

The old loveseat is full of ornaments.

I am not sure why I have been keeping this old loveseat..we had a couch that matched..but Chance wore that one out.  Small grandchildren used to be able to sleep on it..now they are all too tall to sleep on it comfortably. It is too good to throw out.

The tree coffin is empty. It is awaiting empty boxes and containers.

I have marked all the boxes and plastic containers with post it notes so I know what goes where when I pack them all back up again in about ten days.

The top of the tree gets decorated first then I take it off the stand and hold it and Far Guy puts the rest of the tree together and we both hoist it upwards..it worked last year..I think Far Guy stood on a chair.  See that boom box..it is loaded with Bee Gees and Beach Boys and Rock n Roll Oldies..great tree trimmin’ music:)

The BIG Tree

The "Grands" and my handsome and handy Son In Law Andy..helped put up the big tree. The children were impressed with it's tallness and they all helped decorate it the evening before Christmas Eve. Andy is very TALL..he began by lifting the children in the air to hang ornaments..finally he just took the tree apart at the top and held onto it while the children decorated. Noah got to put the Angel on top, because he was the first one that asked me if he could do the honors. When I took out the ornaments I ran onto the Angel..I believe we purchased it in Florida in 1973 or Minnesota in 1974..whatever.. it has been around a long time. I thought the children did great..they kept me busy going through boxes and bags, attaching the little wire hangers until I ran out ..my entire collection never made it on the tree due to a hanger shortage..maybe next year! The antique bell ornaments seemed to be the children's favorites.. everyone wanted to hang a bell..luckily I had enough to go around. They held all the ornaments very gently and oohed and aahed the entire time. I believe that we made a memory.

It was interesting seeing these ornaments on the tree for the very first time. I have been collecting these ornaments since about 1987..one by one. Sometimes lucky enough to find an entire box! I need to purchase some ornament caps and wires..I will have to keep my eye out at garage sales.. I also discovered that I am heavy on the gold and silver, okay with red, purple, blue and pink. Very short of green and orange..I only have two each of those colors. I am particularly smitten with the orange for some reason... I don't quite know why, but I simply must find some more of those.

I did purchase one box of the new Radco Shiny Brites at Menards..I just got the small bulbs a set of twelve multicolor. They are interesting. I explained to the grands about them..they probably won't remember that they are reproductions..but someday they may be collectible in their own right.

What a great place to sort ornaments..on the bed upstairs. Chance came by once and rested his head on the edge of the bed.. but settled on the twin bed nearby for a nap whilst I sorted and thought..I need a Christmas Tree Skirt..and next year perhaps I should take off the huge tags that identify it as sections A, B, C and D. I should also buy more tissue paper to wrap my old shiny brites in..as I stuffed the last three boxes full of ornaments all touching each other..those boxes are an improvement from the old bread sacks that most of them were in previously.

When Far Guy had this huge tree in sections in his cart I should have had him go right over to the huge fifty gallon totes..instead I just walked right by them. When I went back to Menards in DL the other day they were all sold out. I purchased two smaller totes that will have to be returned..but that's okay..I can go by the antique shop! The Tall tree is down, one of it's sections measures 48 inches..so we will have to build a wooden box for it next summer.. I am thinking something out of pine..on casters..that might possibly go someplace upstairs....maybe it could be a coffee table..or a bench with a cushion on top.. shh..no one tell Far Guy that I have another vision:)