Charlie Brown Christmas trees in my past?

On December 23, 2024December 24, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Uncategorized4 Comments

I was recently looking at some old pictures and was trying to remember what Christmas trees we had when I was growing up. As I looked back I found some really old pictures. Above was my grandparents’ Christmas tree when my Dad was 4 years old. Taken in 1928 in Argentina where he was born and grew up until he was in high school when they moved to Clearwater for my grandfather’s job. The toys were pretty funny and this must have been taken after they opened presents.

My parents first Christmas tree together. Taken in 1952, the same year they were married. I can’t tell if it’s real or not. The first “tree like” trees were invented in the 30’s with brush bristles.

These were taken in 1958. It was several years before I was born but my sisters were in the top shot on the left. Again, look at those toys. I’m thinking that’s a record player on the floor on the far left.

1972 – I was nine. I think this was our first green tree. Before that we had those silver aluminum trees with the color wheel that changed colors that was so popular in the 60’s. I couldn’t find a picture of one that we had.

Apparently you can still buy them on Amazon. A mid-century modern reproduction aluminum

The above is also in 1972. We used to drive down from Birmingham to the Tampa bay area to visit my grandparents for the holidays. My grandparents always had a little table top tree. That’s me on the left and my sister, Debbie, on the right.

1974 – my grandparents had that same tree forever.

In 1978 we bought a new tree for the living room and put the old tree down in the den with older handmade ornaments.

1981 – Mom and me next to the tree. We had just come home from Christmas Eve mass.

My sister and I lived together for several years in Atlanta and this was the tree we had in our apartment. We had been collecting ornaments from our travels.

In 1989 this was our last tree in the house I grew up in. The next year my parents retired and moved back down to the Clearwater area.

The same tree next year in my parents new house in Florida.

My sisters and I always came down to Florida for Christmas and Brett came one year.

This was Brett and mine’s first tree together. It was a real tree, my first real tree. Every year we lived in Atlanta we would go out on the weekend after Thanksgiving and pick out a tree.

Our first tree in Tampa in 2002. We bought a fake one on sale.

2001 – After my Dad died and my Mom moved into a retirement apartment we downsized and got her a table top tree. Can you find the 2 cockatiels to the left on the tree table? Buddy and Smokey always made the trip down with me from Atlanta.

My Mom’s last Christmas in 2004.

It’s fun to see how the trees have changed over the years. What about you? Are your trees real or fake? Do you have any tree “traditions”?

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Christmas walk through the gardens

On December 21, 2023December 21, 2023 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants, Tampa bay sights3 Comments

A non-birding friend wanted to go for a walk early one morning last week at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo. I tagged along without my camera so all of these are taken with my phone. The Gardens does a big Christmas light show at night but it’s also fun to walk around during the day here and it’s not so crazy crowded. The big silk floss trees were nearing the end of their blooming. There were still a few blooms at the top of the tree but most were on the ground.

The bald cypress trees were changing color which made it almost feel like fall if it wasn’t so warm. We were walking around in shorts and t-shirts with the weather being in the high 70’s but at least the humidity was low.

The food stand left bags of popcorn out from the light festival the night before. The squirrel knocked one down and started to have a blast. He was going to have a tummy ache. Eventually his friends showed up and they had a popcorn party. I wasn’t going to stop them.

A small sample of some of the decorations. They had some of the lights still on which made it cool to see in the daylight.

The monarch butterfly let me get really close with my phone. She may have been laying eggs.

The giant milkweed plant in the butterfly garden was full of caterpillars.

I have made it to the light show at night over the years. You can see some of my older posts here and here.

Christmas in the gardens

On December 23, 2021March 16, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights2 Comments

Two of the big trees at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.

Some of the fun decorations I saw.

I thought these were cool and maybe I could do them myself. I could use some of the pine cones in my backyard and add some ribbons and some of my balls since I didn’t put up a tree this year but here it is, a few days before and I still have done it. Maybe next year.

They have some cute critters that are wearing fun holiday outfits.

I walked over to Heritage Village next door but they had minimal decorations on the historic houses.

Not happening this year

On December 22, 2020December 22, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights2 Comments

These are some of the shots from last year’s Thanksgiving weekend visit to Disney Springs. It was our 3rd annual lunch at the Springs with my sisters and we had a perfect day last year. This year we all did what we were suppose to do and stayed at home. They didn’t get to come visit this year so next year we’ll have to make up for lost time.

Above are some of the Christmas trees we saw around town last year including the manatee statue waving in front of the tree.

I hope everyone is having a good Christmas in spite of the things that are going on. Are you staying at home instead of visiting relatives? If it’s warm Brett and I might spend the day at the beach (if it’s not closed) just to get outside. Although, even if it’s cold we might still go. Nothing like a long walk on the beach all bundled up when it’s cold. Below are some old pictures I found of my family being bundled on the beach. The first is from the early 70’s of my mom and two sisters walking on Clearwater beach. The 2nd was more recent (early 90’s) of my sister and I goofing around on the the beach. Both were on Christmas day.

It wouldn’t be November without a trip to Disney

On November 24, 2016November 24, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation3 Comments

We always wait until school is back in and the weather has cooled off a little bit. Instead of going to a Disney theme park this year, we decided to spend a few hours at Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney). It’s almost as big as a theme park but without the rides. It’s a shopping and dining theme park. We got there Saturday afternoon and spend a few hours walking around, looking in a few shops and people watching. We had a great Italian dinner and then headed back to our hotel. It was extremely crowded but fun. I was traveling light so I took all of these pictures with my Iphone.

The Christmas decorations were just starting to go up. The little details are amazing.

The sky was beautiful as the sun was going down. Yes, that’s a car floating in the lake. You can get in a car that drives down the driveway and then floats into the lake.