The Christmas Ornaments

We love Christmas ornaments at Linderhof -- and have been buying them every year since the first few that we bought on our honeymoon 40 years ago. Most are dear to us, many are gifts from friends, some are from my childhood tree, some were brought back from a German vacation when Daughter Sarah was in high school. It's always a joy to decorate the tree and lovingly put the ornaments on. Some are so old that they only shine with sentiment!

We love Christmas movies . . . the old ones -- Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday Inn, It's a Wonderful Life and Christmas in Connecticut.

This Macy's ornament, a gift from Daughter Sarah reminds us both of the evenings that we sat and watched Miracle on 34th Street together when she was a small child.
A Radko ornament -- the only one we have, but if you'll notice, it's not a snowman in the middle but rather the Pillsbury Doughboy! Another gift from Daughter Sarah who, since she works for General Mills, which owns Pillsbury, knows the Doughboy by his first name (and she won't tell us what it is!) This is a dear ornament and I hang it on the branch so tightly that it's hard to get off! It was one of those "Employee Only" ornaments -- available to purchase only by employees of the company!
We love German ornaments and this wooden Santa is by Steinbach (which makes those great nutcrackers) . . . alas, no nutcrackers for us but we have about six different Steinbachs. Not bought by us in Germany but they do remind us of that trip.
And one of our many Reed and Barton dated silver bells. The 40th Anniversary 2009 is now home and on the tree. It's a great tradition and like the first ornament, the silver bells are because of It's a Wonderful Life.

We used to watch that movie over and over again each Christmas season. Daughter Sarah and I were always fascinated by the bells . . . for "everytime a bell rings, an angel gets their wings". And we do hear the bells ring . . . and we know -- another angel has received their wings!
An old fashioned tree with old fashioned ornaments. Soon wrapped presents will be piled high beneath for it's almost Christmas.

All too soon, those ornaments will go back in their boxes and back to the basement. To wait for another year so that for most of December, memories will abound on our Christmas tree.

It's Wednesday, and time to join Susan at A Southern Daydreamer to see what everyone has been doing outdoors. With the blizzard in the East, I'm expecting (and hoping) for a lot of snow pictures! Snow makes it seem more like Christmas!