Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas!

I found two Christmas dinner photos & couldn't decide which one to post so here they both are!
 The top one is at my maternal grandparents in 1951--my Mom on the left, her Father at the head of the table, then 2 family friends and me!
This one is at our house in 1955.  I know it's hard to tell but the tablecloth is felt with felt cutouts sewn all over it--made by my Mom.  That's her on the left, then my sister Judie and my paternal grandmother Copeland.
I have really enjoyed sharing all these photos--they have brought back a flood of memories!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Day Twenty Four--- 1 Day til Christmas

A favorite photo of mine--the colorized version of a photo taken for the family Christmas card--early 50's

Monday, December 23, 2013

Day Twenty Three--2 Days til Christmas

Christmas 1952.  What I love about this photo isn't the record player & records, but the cabinet in the background that my father made and painted with primitive PA Dutch figures & symbols

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Day Twenty Two--3 Days til Christmas

Starting 2 weeks after I got married I worked at a store called the China Shop and was there til just before my 62nd birthday!  A great place to work--we had a lot of fun--wonderful bunch of people to work with!

We started decorating for Christmas in October --every year there was different themes for the trees

We gifted wrapped for free ( who does that anymore?) .  I have lots of good memories of the time I spent there!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Day Twenty One--4 Days til Christmas

Love those glasses!  Taken at our house --I'm going to guess 1987 or 1988.  Alan & I with our  black lab, Tessa.

Sorry the photo is so light...Aunt Kay in front between my parents--Tom, Judie, Alan & me

Friday, December 20, 2013

Day Twenty--5 Days til Christmas

Christmas 1953.  My paternal grandmother was a nurse & I think maybe she had given us  the outfits & the kits.  I'm the one with the big smile, Judie has a devilish twinkle in her eye!  Guess we're both thinking who we can practice on!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Day Nineteen--6 days til Christmas

We don't put up a large tree, but all the ornaments have special meaning....

These are just 2 of the many Mexico themed ones!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Day Eighteen--7 days Til Christmas

Decided to come back up to the present day for one post.  This was the most recent photo of me, my brother Tom & my Mom I could find --from 2008.  At Tom's house!
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Day Seventeen--8 days til Christmas

Christmas 1951--looks like we both got musical instruments--a banjo & a ukelele?  Judie looks much happier with hers than I do!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Day Sixteen--9 days til Christmas

Technically this isn't a Christmas memory since I wasn't born yet, but today would be my parents 69th wedding anniversary.  They were married December 16, 1944--both were in the service--Mom the Navy, Dad the Army.  She was stationed in Washington , DC--that's where they got married.  Dad was stationed in NC.  My Dad passed away in 1991--way too young and Mom died 2 years ago

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Day Fifteen---10 days til Christmas

All of the photos I have been posting bring back memories--no more than these.  They were taken Christmas 1994--the twins were 2 months old & there would only be one more Christmas with my sister Judie.  Here she is holding Julia.
Julia ( in red) & Dylan ( in green) in their 1st Christmas outfits
And individually--Dylan
Julia
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Saturday, December 14, 2013

Day Fourteen--11 days til Christmas

Another oldie--Christmas 1951.  Judie on the left.  At my maternal grandmother's apartment--that's her in the photo--Hazel Belle Bowers Carney--and my Dad with me & Judie!
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Friday, December 13, 2013

Day Thirteen--12 Days til Christmas

Made a trip to NYC a few years ago with a friend, Joanne Salinsky, to a book signing by Ree Drummond ( The Pioneer Woman)  It was at a bookstore in the Chelsea Market building -- home of the Food Network.  This is one of the decorations there--yes, it is plastic cups! 

One of the trees

Close up of the decorations--cds!

On the street nearby

A group of Santas outside Grand Central Station



Thursday, December 12, 2013

Day Twelve--13 days til Christmas

Not sure what year these 2 photos are from--maybe mid 1950's....

Only 4 stockings hung, so it was before Tom was born in 1956.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Day Ten--15 Days til Christmas

Christmas 1956--my brother, Tom is about 6 months old!

A more formal photo taken in October 1956 ( Tom was born in April) ( me in the middle)--all in our clan plaid (if I remember correctly) outfits made by my Mom

Monday, December 9, 2013

Day Nine---16 Days til Christmas

I have to say I'm having fun looking through my computer & old photo albums to find all these photos!  This is my older sister, Judie visiting with Santa Claus in 1953.  I can only guess that it was at Jordan Marsh or Filenes in Boston.   She passed away 17 years ago this fall and I miss her especially around the holidays.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Day Eight--17 Days til Christmas

A street scene in NYC.  Haven't been in a few years, but it's a fun day--walk around & see all the decorations, the trees and the skaters!

Day Seven--18 days til Christmas

Oops, I forgot to post a photo yesterday so today I will do 2!  This is our one and only cat ( we have had as many as 7 at one time)  His name is Tuck, he is 23 years old and we have had him since he was 5 weeks old! 


Friday, December 6, 2013

Day Six---19 Days til Christmas

My sister & me ( I'm in the dark pjs) in front of the fireplace--don't know why Judie is wearing a lei !  Stocking hung by the chimney with care....

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Day Five--20 days til Christmas

These were taken in 1987 ( hence the big hair and glasses!)  One of my first attempts at using the timer on my camera--before digital so I couldn't see that I was chopping heads off!  Taken in our brand new solar room!

Another one from the same time--Tom twirling my Dad's mustache & leaning on Judie!  Alan more in the photo ( and for those of you that know him--no mustache!)

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Day Four --21 Days til Christmas

Here is another great oldie!  At my Aunt & Grandmother Carney's house in front of the fireplace.  My sister & I are wearing dresses lovingly mad by my Mom--I think taffeta or some other material similar and Tom has on shrt pants that she made, too.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Day 2 24 days til Christmas

From the early 1950's--Me ( with the kitten Suzie) and my sister, Judie.  One of the photos taken  to get  " the right One" for our family Xmas card!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Day One --25 days til Christmas

I decided this would be the way to get back into blogging.  I have so many family Xmas photos and ones from NYC & Boston so I thought I'd share one a day.  This was taken 3 years ago in NYC--a shop window.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!

This is  my sister Judie and I in costumes made by my Mom.  I should have looked up the year, but it was probably pre 1956 otherwise I think my brother would have been in the photo!
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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

A Little Bit of Mexico in Intercourse PA!

Don't know why the Lapps sign is on this shop--it was the place next door, I think.   Across the street from a popular tourist place ( Kitchen Kettle Village) I found a wonderful shop that carried lots of Mexican things--handmade tin items, Talavera ( she even had sinks--I was very tempted) clothing and various other interesting doodads. 
 Right next door is an Amish coach shop that had beautiful handmade pieces of furniture, kitchen items and childrens toys.  Quite a contrast between the 2 shops but was glad to find both of them!