AN OLD ONE FROM 2012...

and keeping in with the season.  I thoroughly enjoy looking at what ornaments are hanging from someone else's tree, whether they be in the homes of family or friends, or even in places such as Mount Vernon's visitor's center.

We were visiting George Washington's Mount Vernon shortly before December 25th (2012) and it was very festive.  His likeness is on a tree ornament below. 

I have slowed down considerably but have enjoyed adding a couple of new ornaments as each year of our married life passed. I said jokingly to Gregg only the other day, "Well, I think we are ready for our third tree."  I was half-joking but...you know, I like to say the seed is planted.  I'll just have to see how much energy I have next year.

We have artificial trees now.  Always before that, we went down to the tree lot, and even cut a few down at a local tree farm. When son moved out of the house, I bought a small artificial tree, and that stayed in the family room for years.  It looks like an artificial tree but I am still happy with it.  By the time it's decorated, it is beautiful, especially when all lit up.  

A few years later and at Christmas time, son mentioned that he missed seeing a tree in our front room, this on one of his visits back home.  I didn’t need any encouragement because I had been thinking about it for a couple of years, and it didn't take long before the second larger tree arrived.  Though it is still artificial it is more real looking.  Amazing how they are made to look so real now.  I know nothing beats the scent of a fresh pine tree, but I'm happy with the ones we have, and my dear other half enjoys looking at them too, especially at night.  Sometimes he is the first one to put the lights on. 

 

Now, where could I fit a third tree?  Our home isn't that big, and I was joking but who knows what next year will bring.  I am sure there is a corner space somewhere in this house.  

Getting back to Mount Vernon, I wanted to get photos of Presidential ornaments, and have bought a few over the years.  I have just added George to our tree.  We have been back many times, sometimes with visitors, but mostly on our own so that I could pop into the gift shop.  It is a fun place to browse around.  You don't have to buy a ticket for admission to the shop or the eating area, and it is worth a look-see even if you don't buy anything. 

 Usually at this time of the year we visit Mount Vernon's Inn Restaurant, and most often have lunch before we browse for gifts.  A bowl of Peanut Soup is ordered for both of us, along with a portion of their delicious cornbread.  Gregg gets a sandwich and I get a plate of refried green tomatoes.  For dessert we take home a portion of their bread pudding to eat at dinner time. You can view the menu at this link if you are curious.

I'm assuming that the photo above is Abraham Lincoln and more past presidents in the photos below.  

Martha Washington made an appearance.

This is a painting of their home.

George Washington look-a-likes.

A glass ornament of Mount Vernon.

Below you can see George looking through a telescope.

I learned later that he was an accomplished surveyor and used celestial observations to determine locations.

I think this is supposed to be Martha but perhaps it is Betsy Ross because of the flag in her basket.  Betsy  has her own story.

and another of George with a bag of flour.

President Washington also owned a Grist Mill and Distillery three miles away from Mount Vernon. 

Martha was an excellent gardener.  There is a website here that shows you the garden.

Earlier we had come across a real camel in a field.  In 1787 George Washington paid 18 shillings to bring a camel to Mount Vernon to entertain his guests and family.  Since 2008 Mount Vernon has followed Washington's lead, welcoming Aladdin the camel to the estate for the holiday season.  He has a very large field to roam and also a large, open-style barn with lots of fresh hay to munch on.

Camels were a very rare sight in 18th century America. There are only a few newspaper references and all related to an enterprising person traveling city to city with the animals, earning a living by exhibiting them. Records show that in 1787, a pair of camels were imported from Arabia and sold to a New York businessman for sixteen hundred dollars. One of these is probably Aladdin's lookalike that Washington paid to be brought to Mount Vernon for a Christmas surprise.

The ornament below shows Martha Washington in a reconstructed portrait made from other paintings in her later years.  There is an interesting explanation at this website.  Back in those days, portraits of former First Ladies, were usually done when they were a lot older.  The explanation of how this one came to be is very interesting.

Here's Martha and George again....

and one last glass ornament of their home.  There are links throughout this post, so that you can read more information if interested.

Added addition on later on 12-22-22:

Below are three of the cloth ornaments I bought a few years ago...

George and Martha Washington...

George Washington crossing the Delaware... 

and a fife man (General Washington had a fife and drum corps, which you can read about here.)

and not in theme with the above but I thought I would share the two more recent ornaments I treated myself to and I posted here, now at home on our tree...  

Clara holding her toy Nutcracker and the ballerina.  

I haven't shared any other ornaments this year but at the end of 2023, you will see them on that third tree.  In the meantime, you can take a look at all the ones I posted during the lifetime of my blog at this link.  There are several posts so feel free to ignore this, but there is at least one other post from the gift shop.

Thanks for looking and have a great day.