My Life, my photography, my passions
This Christmas ornament is one of the newest on the tree. It is in honor of my oldest son who became a Marine this year. Next year I will have another commemorative ornament as my youngest son completes basic training at MCRD in San Diego.
Ornaments just don’t belong on the tree, but also add sparkle and holiday flair to just about any surface. The buffet in the dining room received the evening sun and the ornaments sparkled in the light. It was a special touch to the holiday evening meals.
Christmas is full of traditions and this one is no exception. My Mother used to bake this same Swedish Tea Ring at Christmas time for my God Mother. It had been almost 40 years since I had my last one. My fiancee’s Mother baked this one and it instantly brought me back. It was just as delicious as it looks.
The tradition in our house is to open presents on Christmas Eve, 12:01 am to be exact. Long story, and since I have so many pictures to update on my 365 project it can wait until another time. Another tradition is the Santa Hat. In order to open a present you have to wear the Santa Hat. It gets passed around and one person at a time opens a present while everyone watches.
This is my daughter, modeling the Santa hat, her new snowflake necklace, and a wonderful Christmas smile.
I loved ice skating when I was young. During the 1970’s in Connecticut the best skating was outside, a field would ice over and all the neighborhood kids would gather with skates and hockey sticks. Cities and parks would sponsor outdoor skating rinks by flooding fields and bonfires would be lite to keep skaters warm.
It was wonderful. I learned to skate with my Dad. He skated backwards and held my hands. Didn’t matter if the ice was bumpy, or cracks made one fall down. It was the whole experience. Even when it snowed, then shovels came our clear the skating area. Always thought figure skating inside was cheating in a way, although I liked the smooth ice, it’s just not the same.
This rink at Eugene Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska combines the best of both worlds. A prepared, maintained surface gives the luxury of skating on “good” ice, while the open air pavilion maintains the natural feeling of skating outside. I taught my daughter to skate here and it’s a annual tradition around Christmas to spend a few hours on the ice. The park is located halfway between Omaha and Lincoln and we are very lucky and fortunate the park is so close, skating in the winter and swimming in the summer.
