Treasure Chest Thursday--Heirloom Christmas Ornaments

Decades ago, I came into the possession of an old Joseph Horne's box that belonged to my maternal grandmother, Martha Marie Frederick Stark. Inside the box were numerous Stark and Frederick heirlooms. Some were in other smaller boxes...many were just loose. All treasures.

Another view of the Dresden ornaments
Found among the bits and bobs were several old Christmas ornaments. My research shows that they are Dresden Christmas ornaments, made in Germany in the from about 1880 to 1919. I have no idea which branch of the tree they came from, but my "educated" guess is the Stark side.

Last year I featured three little blue ones that my Mom had professionally framed for me one Christmas. They have graced my dining room wall for decades.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Advent Calendar Day 15--Holiday Happenings

Jumping ship here....I have decided to add a new category to my post listings....Growing Up Hiser....which features memories of my two sons. How adorable are they....sitting there with Old Santa back in 1984. Let's see...Aric would have been 6 and Garrett, 3.

What Cleveland kid doesn't have memories of this?
I was an "almost" full time working gal back then...almost being the operational word. I would find a day during the week early in December when I drove the boys into Cleveland for a day with Santa, Mr. Jingeling, and lunch. The MO always was....park in the May Company parking lot...head up to the May Company Santa Floor early for the annual visit and photo op....ride the little train....head over to Higbees for lunch.....see Mr. Jingleling, get the Good Luck cardboard key...be fascinated by Bruce the Talking Spruce....and finally, send the two boys into the Santa Shop to purchase items for the family.

Just talking with my oldest son this morning by phone brought back this annual trip and pushed me to relive the memory. Later in the day I asked Garrett if he had fond memories of our day visiting Santa. Always the comic, he responded, "I don't remember Santa being the focus in my mind. It was Bruce the Spruce that was interesting. It was like going to Oz and seeing the Wizard....you just knew there was a man hiding behind that tree making his eyes move and doing the voice."

I think we were still going when Aric was in middle school and Garrett was past the "I believe" age. I was still able to pursuade them to do the photo (it was a Mom thing); however we primarily just wandered around the Santa Floor, enjoyed a few laughs with Bruce the Spruce and had lunch!

By that time in their young lives, it was....in a word....TRADITION.




© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Tombstone Tuesday--More Woodmen of the World

EUGENE J. PERRIER
Died July 31, 1904
Age 49 Years
Erected by Palmetto Camp No. 2


ALCEE ABNER MERIC
Born January 15, 1860
Died May 4, 1910
Member Tulane Camp No. 48

These two Woodmen of the World tombstones are in the Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Blog Caroling---Fall on Your Knees

     Growing Up Hughes the three of us Hughes kids annually composed a Christmas pageant. Truth be told, I composed the pageant and coerced my two younger brothers to participate.

    We all wore white sheets as angel costumes. Aluminum foil wrapped cardboard held our music and I used the family Bible to read passages from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I seem to remember we performed for Mom, Dad and Teek each and every Christmas. As the narrator, I would read from the Bible and interspersed were appropriate Christmas carols. 

     As adults we have a good laugh remembering when we sang ..."fall on your knees" how both of my two brothers would immediately drop down on the floor. Yes, it was quite a well rehearsed performance. Secondarily, we wonder why we have bad knees as adults....lol

O HOLY NIGHT  O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior's birth! Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine! Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand. So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here came the wise men from Orient land. The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend! Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine! Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is peace. Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother And in His Name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise His holy Name! Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine!
© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Advent Calendar Dec 10--Christmas Gifts

     Yes, today is Christmas.....I got everything I asked Santa for and more.....but here I am playing with one of my brother's presents and wishing it was mine!!!!

     That was me....back in the mid 1950's. Santa had tucked a Remco Movieland Drive-In Theater under the tree. It wasn't on my list....in fact, I had never heard of it before....but when I saw it unwrapped....I was fascinated. I probably did the older sister routine....."Here...let me show you how to set that up" and hours later allowed my younger brother actually play with his gift.

     Truth be told, it was a pretty unique toy for the mid 50's. There were little cars that could be driven in and parked in front of the movie screen AND a little projector with a light inside. The "movie" was a small film strip that was wound through the projector by turning a large knob. How cool is that!!! 

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Advent Calendar Dec 9--Aric's Church

     This little hand crafted church has become one of the treasured family Christmas decorations over the years. It was purchased in 1982 by my son, Aric, when he was in Kindergarten. 

     Several weeks before Christmas, the school's PTA annually sponsored a Santa's Shop. The students were able to buy presents for their family members for a reasonable price and all the proceeds went to the PTA. Aric went to school that day with a five dollar bill and could purchase three gifts....one for me....one for his father....and one for his brother. 

     Entering the Santa's Shop, Aric browsed around looking from table to table until he saw the little white church. Having made his decision he approached the kind lady behind the table and said he wanted to buy the church. He handed her his five dollar bill and she handed him a bag with the church inside. Aric began to cry.....where was his money? He still had two more gifts to purchase and no more money. As a little fellow, he just assumed that three items would add up to five dollars.....not that one item would cost the entire amount he had been given to spend. 

     When I arrived at school to pick Aric up following class that day, his teacher told me this story with a smile on her face. My son was still upset as he only had one gift. The gift became one for the entire family and has been showcased every Christmas beside the old Hughes creche from the 1950's. 

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Tombstone Tuesday--Woodmen of the World Bonanza

     This summer I photographed my first Woodmen of the World (WOW) tombstone in the Bellevue Cemetery, Bellevue, Ohio. I have always been fascinated with tombstones that are shaped like tree trunks and happened upon the WOW symbol by accident since it was on a tree trunk tombstone. The find has put me on, yet another, tombstone quest.

     While wandering about the Lafayette Cemetery # 1, in the Garden District, New Orleans, Louisiana this weekend, I spied a tree trunk tombstone. Imagine my surprise when I saw the deceased was a member of the Woodmen of the World. It didn’t stop there…..I found several more. John Crane Ermon Son of John Ermon And Susan Crane Born August 15?, 1802 maybe 1882 Died October 28, 1914 Member of Magnolia Camp Number ? Paul Andrew St. Pierre Born May 18, 1868 Died November 12, 1916 Excelsior Camp Number 471 Harry T. Melling Died June 20, 1919 Aged 22 years and 10 months John T. Holtzmann Born December 26, 1854 Died May 22, 1899 Erected by Palmento Camp No. 2 Nicholas W. Larkin August 18, 1902 Aged 50 Years Charles L. Raymond Born March 21, 1872 Died July 19, 1919 Eureka Camp No. 27 WOW William A. Lashley 1861-1918 Acorn Camp No. 51 W.O.W. Henry Lee Haas 1865-1909 Member of Palmento Camp No. 2 W.O.W. Emma D. Fallon Died October 20, 1900 Aged 26 Years Erected by Rose Grove No. 5 WC (Woodmen Circle—Women’s Auxiliary to Woodmen of the World) © 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser