Christmas Past and Present

  *Many of you will remember my husband’s tradition of saving  the stump of our family’s Christmas tree every year, and carving it into the form of a creature.  Each creature represents  a sustaining memory of something significant to us in that year.  When he has completed the carving, he cleverly inserts a penny with the …

Christmas Tree Carvings:Second Week

The next five Christmas tree carvings lovingly created by my husband.* *Many of you will remember my husband’s tradition of carving the stump of our family’s Christmas tree each year, into a creature.  Each creature represents  a sustaining memory of something significant to us in that year.  In addition, he cleverly inserts a penny with …

Our Owl Mascot

Otis symbolizes many good memories of our kid’s elementary school.  It was then, a small neighborhood school which was warm, diverse and caring, under the leadership of a terrific principal who greeted each child and parent every morning and at dismissal by name. An owl is still the school mascot.  My husband  carved this one …

Napoleon

In 1990 my husband befriended a squirrel who greeted him every evening after work. This little squirrel is commemorated here in this Christmas Tree stump carving. His name is Napoleon.

Gracie

Gracie, celebrates Grace the second, a sweet, petite tabby.   She passed on in 1989, and so she is remembered very fondly.

Ringo

 This Christmas tree carving honors a little starfish that fascinated our eldest, summer of 1988.

1987 Christmas Tree Stump

This is Greta, after Greta Garbo.  The memory of our Christmas tree from 1987 lives on. Just like the memory of Greta.

Christmas Tree Carvings

Marina is our 1984 Christmas tree stump carving.

Christmas Tree Penguin

                                  This is Magellan, our Christmas tree stump carving from 1983.

Christmas Tree Rabbit

Because so many responded to my husband’s beautiful practice of  Christmas tree  stump carving, I’ve decided to post an image of one of his mini sculptures each week for all of the twenty-eight carvings in our collection.  Above is the first, from 1982.  This is Abbot the rabbit.  The muse?  The Velveteen Rabbit.