How to Haul Home a Christmas Tree in a Sports Car

 

Photo by (c) Wednesday Elf

Our first Christmas since retiring was fast approaching when we realized that part of our retirement downsizing and moving included getting rid of the 7-passenger VW Van we'd used for years while the children were growing up.  We had decided to just go with Bob's 2-seater Austin-Healey kit car sports car.

Since our Christmas Trees were usually a live tree around 6 feet tall, without a van or a pick up, how were we now to get this tree home?

Bob said to leave it to him (my master problem-solver) and off he went to town to choose a tree. The tree he selected was wrapped in plastic, which helped eliminate too many pine needles in the car. It also kept the breezes generated by driving down the highway from 'lifting' the branches of the tree that might have caused it to 'take flight'.

Photo by (c) Wednesday Elf

You see, our little sports car was a convertible. Bob simply put the top down, put the tree in the passenger seat, tied it down with some rope, and successfully transported it home.

Problem solved! And, yes, he DID receive some pretty funny stares and shouted comments from fellow drivers on the road. Naturally we had to take pictures, since no one would believe how we got that tree home!

Photo by (c) Wednesday Elf

Written by Wednesday-Elf on 12/15/2013 on another site no longer published.  Updated on 12/18/2020

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A Grandmother By Any Name is Sweet

 Grandmothers are special, no matter what name their grandchildren call them. Over the years, I've heard many names used by kids to identify their grandmother. Some are commonly used, like Grandma, Gramma, Grammie, Grandmama and Nana. Some are pet names or unusual names passed down through generations, like Mimi and MeeMaw.

My Grandmother

My Grandmother, Anne

My grandmother was barely into her 40s when I was born and for some reason – perhaps she thought she was too young to be a grandmother – she taught us first-born grandchildren to call her & my grandfather by their first names ~ Anne & Ernie.

So my darling grandmother, the sweetest woman in the whole world, was always 'Anne' to me and my siblings.  She became simply 'Grandma' to my younger cousins several years later. 

By the time I became a mother, her 'grandma' name got changed again by my baby son. Anne had come to visit when Chris was a tiny toddler and as she came in the door she said “Where's my little GG” (meaning her great-grandson). My son thought that was her name and from that moment on the entire family began to call her 'GG'. :) My sister was the only exception. She decided to call Anne 'Best G' for 'Best Grandmother', except Anne used to laugh and say “but I'm your ONLY grandmother”. Didn't matter – she was the BEST. :)

My mom and hubby's mom were both just 'gramma', or grandma used with the last name when identity was needed.

Different Grandma Names in a Family

Great Grandparents

Separating one grandmother or great-grandmother from another when there are still several on each side of the family gets to be confusing to kids and different names are needed to distinguish them. Since my grandmother was GG, my husband's grandmother became “Grammy-Great”. I called MY great-grandmother “Banny”, a name that has always been special to me and I have no idea where it came from. I've never heard it anywhere else, so perhaps it was a pet family name.

When my first-born grandson was born, my daughter-in-law asked me what I wanted him to call me and I considered 'Banny', and wish now I'd used it, but it was MY Banny's name, so couldn't bear to part with my memories of her. So, I became just plain 'Grandma' to my 5 grandsons, with exceptions (see below). 

My teenage grandson recently decided that 'grandma' is too long, especially for text messages, so he shortened it to G-Ma! 

In different countries, the word 'grandmother' takes different forms depending on what the word means in other languages.  My son's wife is from South Korea, so when the 2 youngest grandsons in that family came along, she taught them to call me Halmeoni, the Korean word for 'grandma'.

Grandparents Day

National Grandparents Day is a holiday celebrated in various countries to show the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. It is always celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day. I had a very special bond with my grandmother, Anne.

Happy grandparents day classic round sticker
by KeyholeDesign

Related Grandmother Posts:

• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry - a Book Review
• New Grandmother Gifts

Grandmother Article Written by Wednesday Elf (9/13/2020)

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Peter Yarrow at the Savannah Folk Music Festival in October 2013

Peter Yarrow performing in Savannah, Georgia

My hubby Bob & I have always been big fans of folk music of the late 50s and early 60s.  Songs sung by Peter, Paul & Mary, The Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four, and many others have long been favorites ... and remain so to this day.

Savannah Folk Music Festival

On October 13, 2013, Peter Yarrow of the famous folk music group "Peter, Paul & Mary" performed in Savannah, Georgia at the 24th Annual Savannah Folk Music Festival.  The concert was part of a 3-day weekend of Folk Music here in Savannah, put on by the Savannah Folk Music Society as a way to keep 'folk music' alive.  Peter Yarrow was just one of several acts who performed in the concert this Sunday afternoon, held outdoors at our Minor League Baseball Stadium in Daffin Park.  Each act played & sang for approximately 30 minutes, but I could have listened to Peter Yarrow for another 6 hours! 

Christopher Yarrow (L) and Peter Yarrow (R)

Peter performed with his son, Christopher, a musician in his own right who performs with a band in Oregon.  You could tell by watching them interact that father & son are very close.  Peter also often performs with his daughter,  Bethany, and together the three of them have formed a nonprofit group to combat school bullying called "Operation Respect".  At this concert, Peter and Christopher told the audience about Operation Respect.  The theme of the organization is Don't Laugh At Me, based on the song of the same name.  After telling the story of the organization, Peter and Christopher sang Don't Laugh At Me at this concert.

Don't Laugh At Me

At the concert that day in October, 2013, Peter sang many songs the audience was familiar with -- and sang along to -- such as "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "500 Miles" and "Blowin in the Wind".

Puff the Magic Dragon

Available on Amazon

He ended the concert with "Puff, the Magic Dragon", the song loved by children the world over.  When he performed 'Puff' he called the children in the audience up on stage to sing with him and held the microphone to several children to sing a chorus.  Little kids just 5 and 6 years old knew all the words to 'Puff', a song Peter wrote 50 years ago!  Absolutely amazing how endearing "Puff" has become to children everywhere. 

A Delightful Concert Experience

Throughout the concert, I had tears in my eyes as I sang along with words to songs as familiar to me as my own name. At the end of the concert, as concert goers got in line to shake his hand and thank him, I asked for a hug. Peter Yarrow gave me a sweet hug as I tearfully thanked him for the beautiful music and the 50 years of special memories.  A most memorable experience!


Story & Photos by (c) Wednesday Elf








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A Lighthouse Wedding

Tybee Island Light Station (c)

Bob & I had retired to the coast of Georgia and were living on Tybee Island, 18 miles East of Savannah, when our daughter from St. Louis decided to get married.  We'd always figured she'd want a large wedding, but after her first visit to Tybee, she and her fiancee fell in love with the island and its lighthouse.  Known as the Tybee Island Light Station, it is located next to the mouth of the Savannah River.  


Kim & Paul liked to come visit for Christmas, so our second Christmas on the island they decided to combine it with a wedding.

Lightkeepers Cottage (c)

It was a very simple ceremony, held in the lightkeepers cottage, one of several buildings which surround the lighthouse.  

A Savannah judge who lived on Tybee performed the ceremony that was  attended by just her parents, 3 other members of our family, and 3 friends.  A 'wedding party' of ten, counting the bride & groom.

The Wedding Party

 

• Us - the parents of the bride.
• Our son & daughter-in-law, who were living in Gainseville, FL and my mother who lived close to them in Ocala, FL.  They all drove up together to Tybee Island for the wedding. 
• Our daughter's best friend/college roommate flew down from Illinois to be her maid of honor.
• Our neighbors, who had previously met Kim & Paul, joined us in watching the ceremony. 

The Wedding Party (c)

Kim brought her wedding dress with her from St. Louis and Paul rented his tuxedo in Savannah.  I made the local arrangements, rented the building at the lighthouse, arranged for the Judge to perform the ceremony, and ordered the wedding cake with a theme that fit the fact that they are both artists.  All of this was accomplished in three weeks, as Kim didn't call with her wedding idea until almost Thanksgiving and the wedding was December 23rd!

Wedding Music

Prior to the ceremony, our son, Greg (Kim's brother) & his wife sang (Everything I Do) I Do it for You, by Bryan Adams, at the request of the couple. It is a favorite song of theirs from the movie Robin Hood (Prince of Thieves), and the lyrics are special to them. 

The wedding music was pre-recorded and played on a tape player.  We decorated a table in the lighthouse cottage with flowers and candles as our only decorations and I took all the wedding photos. The whole ceremony, held two days before Christmas, was simple, but lovely. 

Weather Hitch

Stormy Beach Weather (Pixabay)

The only 'hitch' we experienced was the weather that late December day. The Georgia coastal area was having a Nor'easter complete with cold temperatures, high wind and heavy rain.  But we all laughed it off, because problems with severe weather have been so frequent in our family over the years for any event or trip that we've all taken to calling it "The Austin Weather Curse" and are not surprised when it happens.  It's pretty much a 'given' that it WILL happen. It's a good thing we decided on the Lighthouse Wedding instead of a 'beach' wedding!

An Unusual Wedding Cake

After the wedding, we all went over to a local restaurant on the beach for a seafood dinner.

Because there were only 10 of us in the wedding party, a large, standard wedding cake was not needed, or wanted.  Simple was the password of the occasion, so the cake had to fit with this theme.  I ordered it from a local bakery and arranged to have it placed on a small table near our reserved dining table at the restaurant for the traditional 'cake-cutting' ceremony.

Wedding Cake (c)

Instead of a multilayer wedding cake, we had a one-layer sheet cake.  Instead of having the bride & groom sitting on top, the cake was decorated with an artist's palette and brush, along with the names of the bride & groom and their wedding date.

Why this unusual decoration, you wonder?  Both my daughter and my son-in-law are Artists!

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs.!

Mr. & Mrs.(c)

Afterwards, the wedding couple left for their wedding night in the bridal suite at a hotel on the beach while the rest of us returned to our island home.




Everyone stayed on with us through Christmas two days later. It was a marvelous and memorable Christmas-on-the Island and Lighthouse Wedding!

Kim & Paul  & Their Lighthouse Wedding (c)

To my knowledge, we were one of the first people to hold a wedding at the Tybee Island Lighthouse in 1994.  I think we may have started something, because today it is a regular event.

 

Key West Lighthouse Card
by dotandme

 

Kim & Paul's wedding was small, by choice, and very simple, but charming. If we had decided on a large wedding, we could have sent wedding invitations that fit the location.

















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Reflections of the Sea Ornaments

Christmas Tree Ornaments from the Seashore

From the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Central Coast of California to the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Georgia, we've celebrated Christmas near the 'Sea' over many a year. As a result, our Christmas Ornaments have gradually gravitated toward items that reflect and remind us of the seashore. We have seagulls and shells, lighthouses and ships, and a 'colorful' crab. Here I share some of my favorite 'Reflections of the Sea' ornaments that I use on my Christmas Tree each year.

Throughout this page I've included a variety of seashell holiday ornaments and other related ornaments that reflect life at the seashore. Perhaps there is one or two that would fit in with your Christmas Tree ornament collection, whether you live near the seashore or just love 'all things about the Sea'.

*All pictures on this page are personal photos by Wednesday-Elf, unless otherwise noted.

The Tybee Island (GA) Lighthouse and Our Lighthouse Ornaments

 

Tybee Island Lighthouse and Lighthouse Ornaments

Living Near a Lighthouse on Tybee Island...

Lighthouses have long fascinated people, and visitors to Lighthouse locations number in the thousands every year. We were lucky enough to spend 13 years living on Tybee Island, Georgia and the Tybee Lighthouse became a favorite of ours.

Naturally, collecting lighthouse ornaments to add to our "Sea" ornament collection was a 'given', especially after our daughter was married at the Tybee Lighthouse two days before Christmas in 1994!

Cute Crab Ornaments on the Christmas Tree...

 

One of our favorite seashore memories of Tybee Island, Georgia was eating at a restaurant named "The Crab Shack" (where the elite eat in their bare feet).   

To remind us of those fun times, and the Atlantic Ocean we loved around the island, we acquired this fun 'Crab' ornament.

Blue Crab Ornament

 

Blue Crab Ornament
by Thylacine

This "Blue Crab" Ornament will make a unique addition to your sea-theme Christmas tree

If your favorite 'coastal' area is the Chesapeake Bay at the Atlantic Ocean, you are probably a big fan of the Maryland Blue Crab (as my son is). This 'Blue Crab' ornament will be a fun reminder of the delicious blue crabs you've enjoyed in the past.

If you are interested in learning more about the Blue Crab, this Blue Crab Informational Site is an interesting read. It even has recipes for your enjoyment.

Clam Shell with Pearl

 

Then we added a pretty little clam shell with a pearl inside.

We See Seashells by the Seashore

Walking on the beach and finding 'shells' is a favorite pastime of anyone who lives near the ocean, or visits on vacation. Over the years we collected quite a few shells on the beach, and seashell Christmas ornaments for our Tree and home decorations. These two are of a lacy-looking gold color and they look lovely hanging on the Christmas tree.

Seashells, Starfish & Beach Glass Ornament

Seashells, Starfish & Beach Glass Ornament
by CarriesCamera

This colorful collection of seashells and other beach life makes a beautiful ornament for your ocean-themed Christmas tree.

It's also a lovely addition to a beach house decor.

Seagulls along the Shore - My very favorite ornament

Seagulls and the seashore go together, so naturally we had to have a "Seagull" ornament for our "Reflections of the Sea" theme.

Seagulls also soar around fishing vessels and 'ships at sea', a constant reminder of the sea.

Continue Your Nautical Theme

Down to the Sea in Ships...

Cruise Ship Ornaments

Ship themed ornaments are a fun reminder of the Sea, and a cruise ship ornament is perfect to remember a past cruise or look forward to one. On a cold winter day, the thought of a cruise to a tropical island warms you right up!

Bring the 'Seashore' to your Home for Christmas

Since we lived near the seashore for so many years, our Christmas Cards were often photos of our children with the ocean in the background. Below is one of my favorites, taken Christmas 1976 on the Breakwater at Morro Rock on the California Central Coast.

Christmas by the Seashore...

"Christmas on the California Central Coast" - 1976

May you all have a joyous Christmas Season

© 2009 Wednesday-Elf.  Updated 12/6/2019




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Savannah Gingerbread House Festival

Gingerbread Houses - Savannah Festival

One of the sweetest things about the holiday season are the delightful (and delicious) Gingerbread Houses on display in numerous places around the world.  Often large hotels, such as the Hyatt Regency and the Westin feature gingerbread house displays in their lobbies from Thanksgiving through New Year's and thousands of visitors come to see them.

Our family went to see our local Gingerbread Village a couple years ago, held at the Westin Hotel. Known as the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort, it is located on Hutchinson Island in the middle of the Savannah River directly across from Savannah, Georgia's famous River Street.

Holiday Houses in Gingerbread

Gingerbread House Railroad Station

The Savannah Gingerbread House Festival has been an annual event in Savannah, Georgia for 20 years.  The gingerbread houses on display at the festival are culinary creations which are part of a competition open to everyone in two divisions (adult ages 18 & over, and students, 17 & under).  

Each creation is judged and voted upon the day before the festival opens to the public and prizes awarded. 

Our Savannah Gingerbread Village is sponsored by The Savannah Harbor Foundation, a nonprofit that helps local and regional children's charities.

Savannah Harbor Foundation

The Foundation first began as a response to the tragedy of 9/11 when the General Manager of Westin Savannah Harbor, Mark Spadoni, felt the need to bring some feel-good, family-friendly, uplifting events to the city in the tragedy’s aftermath. Mark and other area business people joined forces to form the Savannah Harbor Foundation which hosts a variety of holiday festivities and other family-oriented events throughout the year.

Some of the Gingerbread Creations Seen on Our Tour...

 

Gingerbread House "Old Lady in a Shoe"

 

Gingerbread Golf Cart

Replica of Savannah's Famous 'Olde Pink House' Restaurant

Southern cuisine served in an elegant Colonial mansion

 

Westin Savannah Harbor Hotel in Gingerbread

One of the largest and most elaborate Gingerbread Houses on display was over 4 feet tall and was a replica of the Westin Savannah Harbor Hotel.

The Rest of the Festival

 

"Parade of Boats' on the Savannah River

We spent about an hour touring the Gingerbread Village, then went outside on the lawn of the Westin Hotel which faces the Savannah River and from there watched the rest of the evening's activities, the beautifully decorated 'Parade of Boats', which was followed by a fireworks display.  A fun family evening.

Sip & Stroll Your Way Through Savannah

Since our visit in 2013, the festival has added another feature described below compliments of the Savannah Harbor Foundation.

After the awards reception, the houses are relocated to unique shoppes, elite hotels and other area businesses as we create Savannah's Gingerbread Trail.   

December 13th through December 25th, we encourage visitors to walk through our magical squares arriving at our host locations to enjoy holiday fare or pick up a great gift for that someone special. 

Make Your Own Gingerbread House

If you want to make your own Gingerbread House, recipes are available in a number of places online.  Check out a list of various sites here. 

Gingerbread House Kits

If 'starting from scratch' is too time-consuming for you, Gingerbread House kits are available. This kit includes enough gingerbread to make 5 mini houses, including all the candy icing.  Ready to construct and eat. 

Kits come in a large selection of themes from a fancy gingerbread manor house to Christmas houses to ones depicting popular cartoon figures such as the Minions, Peanuts or Spongebob. Even one for the 'Elf on a 

Shelf'. Whatever your interest, a Gingerbread House kit can be found.

So, grab a kit,  or start with a recipe, and create a Gingerbread House this holiday season!

In what city have YOU seen this sweet Christmas festival of candy-covered creations?

Gingerbread House Day is December 12

(c) Originally published 12/3/2013. Updated 2/16/2024

*All images are personal photographs taken by Wednesday Elf at the Savannah Gingerbread House Festival

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Thanksgiving ~ Our Memories Through the Years of this Sharing Holiday

(c) Personal Photo

Our Thanksgiving Tradition - Sharing with Friends

Our Thanksgiving Tradition began quite accidentally in 1962.  First Thanksgiving together, first year of marriage, new baby, new job in a new State far from family, and Bob, a radio broadcaster, had to work on Thanksgiving Day.  As it turned out, Bob's co-worker was also new to the State and had no family nearby, so Bob brought him home for dinner with us.

This began a 40-year tradition of 'sharing' our Thanksgiving Dinner with someone who would otherwise be alone and probably not even have a traditional holiday dinner. We fed a turkey dinner to a lot of grateful bachelors over the years and it always felt like the perfect way to celebrate this "sharing" holiday.

Pilgrim Greeters

Our church in Lincoln, Nebraska had a tradition for the Thanksgiving Service of having a family with a pair of children be 'greeters' for the congregation. Someone in the church had made pilgrim costumes for the greeters to wear. In 1969 our children (Chris & Kim, brother and sister, ages 7 & 4) were chosen - not just because they were so cute (well, they were!), but because they were the right SIZE for the only pair of costumes available. Chris & Kim had a marvelous time "dressing up" and greeting everyone at the door to the church.

What Can I Bring?

 

Friend Eric, daughter Kim, & son-in-law Paul at Thanksgiving Dinner

 Dinner guests often ask "What can I bring?"  For several years, while living in Georgia, we invited a young bachelor friend of our daughter and son-in-law to Thanksgiving Dinner. Eric was a broadcaster with a Public Radio Station and had to work on holidays, so he came to dinner after work. Eric always wanted to "bring a dish", so we left 'dessert' up to him. The first two years, Eric brought TWO kinds of pies, a third different dessert, like a cheesecake, AND a bag of Peanut M&M's.

These extra desserts Eric brought worked out well when our shared table included our daughter and her husband from St. Louis and another year when we also had my brother & his family, making Thanksgiving a bountiful 'family & friend-filled holiday.


One Thanksgiving Eric was the only dinner guest, thus there was only 3 of us eating an entire Thanksgiving Dinner. Therefore, I admonished Eric to bring only ONE dessert -- there was only SO MUCH that we could eat!
 

Away for Thanksgiving 

This Thanksgiving day it was my son carving the turkey. 

From being the home my family came to for holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving 2010 the 'tables' were reversed and I spent Thanksgiving at the home of my youngest son in Kansas City, Kansas.

Grandsons Nick & Jake

Thanksgiving with my Grandsons!
 
My Grandsons made the Thanksgiving weekend at my son's house even more special as Thanksgiving is:

~a family time,

              ~a sharing time, 

                                   ~a loving time!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Austins!

Related article: Thanksgiving Themes


(c) Wednesday Elf  article originally published 11/3/2009.   Updated 11/20/2017






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”