FReeper Canteen ~ Favorite Christmas Ornaments ~ 18 DEC 2007

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World | The Canteen Crew

[laurenmarlowe]

 

 

 

The FReeper Canteen Presents

~Favorite Christmas Ornaments~

Welcome to the FReeper Canteen! It's great to have you with us!!
Thank you to all of our Troops, Veterans, and their families for allowing us to entertain you!

Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from early traditions.

In the early 1800's, Christmas trees in Germany were typically decorated with candles, cookies, fruit, paper novelties, and candy. Then, a glassblower in Lauscha (a district long recognized for the quality of its glass) crafted some small glass balls to hang on his family's tree.

Around the midpoint of the Nineteenth Century, in addition to candle lights, decorations hanging from Christmas trees included miniature replicas of fruit, animals, toys, musical instruments and angels made primarily out of materials available in homes.

Another concept began to take hold with the German families in whose homes the first “popular” trees resided. Food, often gingerbread or other hard cookies, would be baked in the shape of fruits, stars, hearts, angels and bells.

As the idea of decorated Christmas trees spread, various countries added their own variations. Americans, for instance, would string long strands of cranberries or popcorn to circle their trees. Small gifts began to be used to decorate the tree, sometimes contained in little intricately woven baskets, sometimes nestled in the crook of a bough, sometimes just hanging by a thread or piece of yarn.

 F.W. Woolworth brought the glass ornament tradition to the United States in 1890. From 1870's to 1930's, Germans made the finest molds for making ornaments with nearly 5,000 different molds at the time. At the turn of the century there were over one hundred small cottage glass blowing workshops in Europe.

The Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them all. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal.

Six species account for about 90 percent of the nation's Christmas tree trade. Scotch pine ranks first, comprising about 40 percent of the market, followed by Douglas fir which accounts for about 35 percent. The other big sellers are noble fir, white pine, balsam fir and white spruce.

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before. 

 
Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly, and please leave politics at the door. Let's have fun!

We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity.
We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon.
We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 

 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Ummmm....I have some done from over the year, but I should finish Wednesday and Thursday after work. Some things that require mailing will be New Years presents. d:o)

[Tanniker Smith]

I got the following in email ... I know it's a little late in the day to post this, but I won't be able to post it tonight . . . I only pinged a few people, so feel free to ping a few more and they can ping a few more . . . .

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know Your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, And try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) This entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you Can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to You. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you Know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to You......Tis the Season to be NICE!

(#1 was already gone when I received this.)

2. Real tree or Artificial?
artificial

3. When do you put up the tree?
After Thanksgiving, into the first weekend of December.

4. When do you take the tree down?
I don't take it down. It magically disappears one day in January. Must be the elves or someone else who does a lot of work and never gets any credit . . .

5. Do you like egg nog?
No, but I haven't had it since I was a kid.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Young child: a metal dump truck that I'd push up and down the block
Older: the Planet of the Apes action figures and their treehouse. (8 inches tall)

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
I plead the fifth.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
No one really, but I've gotten into the routine of buying a Blockbuster gift card for Stephen and Mary as a half a gift for 3 or 4 years now.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail. And I'll sign ever card and address ever envelope. I'll use the mailing labels that the charities send me. The cards are preprinted with photographs of the kids.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
I don't know. An ugly sweater? A 500-piece puzzle from a Kris Kringle in school? A pair of gloves in a grab bag that were the wrong size?

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Scrooge, the musical with Albert Finney. It’s a Wonderful Life makes me cry every time. And I always try to catch all of the old Rankin Bass Christmas specials…Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, etc. And, of course there are the old cartoons…Charlie Brown, the Grinch, etc. And I always have to watch the PeeWee Herman Christmas in the Playhouse Special. (It’s very eclectic!). NOTE: So far, I haven’t watched any this year.

(was there a question # 13??)

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
I never "regifted" a Christmas present on another Christmas. I might have given something that I got for a different occasion or given away a Christmas present, but I honestly don't remember.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Food, family, and opening presents.
Okay, opening presents, food and family. I still get like a kid opening presents.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Colored, for now.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
Too many to pick from.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Christmas Eve at In-laws (around the corner) and Christmas Day at my sister’s (20 minute car ride)

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
all of them including Rudolph and Olive the other reindeer.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Family presents are in the morning. All the other presents are opened at whichever house we got them at.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Not enough time to get things done. (And having to make holiday vacation assignments, which most likely won't even be done, for work.)

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
They aren't on the tree, but I have most (or all) of the Hallmark Lionel train ornaments from the past ten years or so.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Pretty much one of everything.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
My masters degree!

26. Who is most likely to respond to this?
I don't know. I don't usually send these out.

27. Who is least likely to respond to this?
See the last answer.

28. Favorite Christmas tradition?
Setting up my trains. It's the only time of the year I get to play with them, and having a Christmas village lit up in the middle of them just makes the set look so much nicer.

29. Did you believe in Santa when you were little?
Yup.

What was number 1 and how did it get left out???

[StarCMC]

Navy Saves Gravely Ill Girl On Cruise Ship

[Kathy in Alaska]

Beautiful ornament, Meg. Thanks for honoring our troops.

[SevenofNine]

Well there is report off UK Times today that Netherland going allow Female muslum patients option for female doctors because of islamic tradition of prohbit Female muslums be treated by oposstive sex

Excuse me what happen if you bleeding to death would you accept blood transfusion from man LOL!

[SevenofNine]

Tamar I hear off Kydto news wire South Korea start voting right now to oust current Chia Pet appease leader Son Moon

[SandRat]

Day is done. A very productive day. How’s yours going?

[SevenofNine]

GUYSSS Get over to Drudge site look like one of Tabliods announced Pretty Little pony John Edward got woman pregger with Pretty little foal

[Pistov Elf]

>> Legend of the Pickle...

YO! SandRat!

Good one! You deserve a NICE LIST Check!!

Pistov

[Kathy in Alaska]

It is a multi-crisis day...the system is not allowing us to upload the timecards. *sigh* We are not having fun. “They” are working on it.

[MEG33]

Thank you, Kathy..It is always a pleasure to honor our troops.

[Pistov Elf]

Yo! PROCON!

Santa actually prefers the "lick" to the "stick"! HO! HO!

Pistov

[SandRat]

IT folks,... the bane of business.

[Pistov Elf]

Soldier's Silent Night

‘Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one-bedroom house made of plaster & stone.
I had come down the chimney with presents to give
and to see just who in this dwelling did live.

I looked all around a strange sight to see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stockings on the mantel just boots filled with sand,
On the wall hung pictures of far distant lands.

With medals and badges, awards of every kind
A sobering thought came alive in my mind.
This house was different, it was dark, it was dreary,
I had found the home of a soldier, I could see that most clearly.

The soldier lay sleeping silent, alone.
Curled up on the floor in this one bedroom home.

His face was so gentle, the room in such disorder.
Not at all how I pictured a United States soldier.
Was this the hero of whom I’d just read?
Curled up on a poncho, a floor for a bed?

Then I realized the other families that I saw this night
Owed their lives to soldiers who were willing to fight.

In the morning around the world, children would play,
grownups would celebrate a bright Christmas day.
But they all enjoyed freedom each month of the year,
Because of soldiers like the one lying here.

I couldn’t help but wonder how many lay alone
on a cold Christmas Eve in lands far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.

The soldier awakened and I heard his rough voice,
"Santa don’t cry, this life is my choice;
I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more,
my life is my God, my country, my Corps."

The soldier rolled over and drifted to sleep,
but I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent and still,
as both of us shivered from the cold night’s chill.

I didn’t want to leave him on that cold dark night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.

Then the soldier rolled over, with a voice soft and pure,
he whispered "Carry on Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all is secure."
One look at my watch, and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, may God bless you this night!

 

Pistov Salutes all our Brave Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Veterans Past and Present!

[Pistov Elf]

Yo! Evening All!!

Pistov

[mylife]

Merry Christmas, Pistov.

Got the toys and such all made?
Theres Cookies a baking all this week in anticipation.
Carrots and milk are in the fridge and the fireplace has been donned with care.

[Pistov Elf]

Pistov

[mylife]

My 1st point all year! L0L

[mylife]

500?

[mylife]

500?