Goodbye 2011 and Hello 2012

Well, here it is - December 31st, the last day of 2011.  Time to reflect over this past year and to think about what needs to be accomplished next year.  It's really sort of hard to believe that it is going to be 2012.  When I was a kid, 2012 seemed to be so far into the future.  I certainly can't begin to list all the things that have changed since the 1950s and 60s, but a lot of things have - some good and some not so good.
I think the biggest accomplishment in 2011 was finishing going through and cleaning out our mother's house.  After 3 years, we are done going through the stuff.  Stuff has either been thrown away, sold in garage sales, packed for online selling , sent to auction houses or split between us 3 kids.  Oh, there are a few things that we have packed to go through later - letters, papers and pictures - but the house is empty.  We are ready to close the estate, physically and mentally.

My garage is full of boxes of stuff to sell online       

And, it is all really cool stuff!

Lots of memories and pretties that I can touch and play with!  But, boy, the garage is full - no room for cars here. 

2012 is going to be a busy year.  I am satisfied with both my eCrater stores and my Auctiva Commerce store, so I won't be adding or getting rid of anymore stores.  I have a great group of friends and mentors at ESN - don't think I could live without.  And, I love blogging - just need to do more of it.  But, all in all, I think I have built a good foundation this past year and look forward to 2012.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR'S

In 1968, It Was Still "Merry Christmas"

Last year I wrote about memories about my grandmother's silver Christmas tree.  We hadn't found it yet and we knew our mother would not have gotten rid of it.  But, did my grandmother?  My sister found it, still in the box and packed.  I now have my grandmother's silver Christmas tree and it is now all decorated with the color wheel turning twinkling colors of red, green, yellow and blue.  As you can see, with the tree done, Bronx is facing north waiting for Santa.  But more about the Christmas decorating later.  Opening the box, all the branches were stored in their sleeves.  The branches were then wrapped by the color code and everything was wrapped in newspaper. 

The date of the newspaper that everything was wrapped in was Wednesday, December 25, 1968.  The newspaper was The Indianapolis Star.  The newspaper is actually in very good condition.  The front page is The Christmas Story with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.  The top of the paper it said, "The Star Wishes All A Merry Christmas." 

    It was also a time when space exploration was still young and exciting - see "Pueblo Crew United With Families."  To be honest, I was almost more excited reading the Christmas 1968 newspaper.  We really need to get back to calling it what it is - Christmas.

Flipping through my 1968 treasured newspaper, I had to look at the fashion of the day.  Love the fur collars and empire waist style.  I didn't have time to go through all of the paper, but don't think I will be rewrapping the silver tree with this paper.  Oh, the wonderful memories of the '60s.