some of this, a little of that

It's been a busy few days

     Thanksgiving, going to the zoo, cutting down our Christmas tree, decorating the house on the inside.
     I need a vacation
     Jackie is always telling me to toss stuff  I no longer need.  Well, in truth, I need very little and she is right.
     But I can't do it.
     The first two pictures are of items I just can't toss.
     Why?  See for yourself.

      Now, these singing children are actually candles.  Maybe my brother Carl will remember them, because they were my mother's.  I don't remember a lot of Christmas decorations, aside from the tree, when I was growing up.  It just seemed people didn't do a lot of decorating...or maybe we were too poor to buy decorations.  But these always came out.
     The bottom has the name of the manufacturer and the date.....1950.  And yes, the one on the right is broken.  But I can't toss them!!!!

     I think Emily might have been second or third grade when she made this.  We have not put it out in years.  It is in a box, stored in a box.  Again, I just can't toss it.

    After we got the tree, I took Camryn on a little detour.  This is what we saw.

    All the times Jackie and I have gone to Nachusa, we have seen one or two bison.  Today there were a lot out.  Too bad I only had my cell phone and not my real camera.  Or binoculars.

     The zoo has community trees, decorated by families, businesses, zoo employees, volunteers, scout troops, school groups....you get the idea.  The decorations are very creative.

     Here are some examples.

water bottles repurposed

Scrabble....more than just a game

a small water bottle

     Well, that sums up the past few days!