My World Tuesday = Christmas Memories in Dining Room

I am a lucky woman because my dining room is 21 feet long with the built in bay window which allows me to have a big dining table to seat a dozen and a table for two by the bay window for Jack and I. When I planned this house I didn't realize how nice that bay window would be in the winter months for warmth. The breakfast room is exposed on three sides like a sun room so in the winter it is fine during the day but very chilly after dark. This is the month that Jack and I like to start to have romantic winter dinners for two in the dining room on this small table above. I have a garden statue of a girl on the table to help me dream of my spring and summer gardening adventures. But in the winter I decorate this girl with seasonal ornaments. Right now I want to show you what is leaning up against her knees. Three programs from trips we made years ago to the White House in Washington D.C. Everyone who goes on the White House Christmas tour gets a keepsake like one of these.

This is the program for 1982 when Ronald Reagan was in the White House. And yes, we did see the jelly bean sidewalk leading up to the gingerbread house in the formal dining room. We also got to see our two year old daughter Jeanine that year try to swing on the gigantic crystal chandelier in the grand foyer.

I remember yelling at Jack. Quick, quick, get her away from that light before we create a disaster here in the White House! Jack had been holding Jeanine on his shoulders because she was sleepy and he was tired of holding her in his arms. But just as we are descending the foyer stairs and preparing to exit the front door of the White House Jeanine suddenly revived, spotted that beautiful crystal chandelier and tried to grab it with her hands. I imagine that if she had pulled down the chandelier and broken it, we probably would have had to sell our home in Burke Centre to pay for a replacement chandelier.

This keepsake was from 1986 and Ronald Reagan was still in the White House and the jelly beans were still leading the way to the front door of the gingerbread house in the formal dining room. I remember that I really liked how the rooms were decorated with Mother Goose personalities including Little Bo Peep who lost her sheep.

This keepsake is of the White House Christmas tour of 1991 when George H. W. Bush and Barbara and their Scottie dog were living in the White House. What I remember about this visit was all the very sparkly decorated trees in the long cross foyer hall. There were lots and lots of them and they were very exquisite.

This was the last time we went on a White House Christmas tour. I remember that the evening that we went it was very very warm and consequently the lines to get in were very very long. We haven't been back since so I guess that says something about our past Decembers here in Virginia. LOL!

This last photo has two old White House ornaments plus one ornament leaning against the statue. That one is DisneyWorld's Cinderella's castle which has a picture of my older daughter Jennifer and hubby Terry from when they got married at the Grand Floridian in DisneyWorld in Florida in 2005.

But the reason I'm took this photo is to show you all that I am still a lucky woman.

See the pretty purple ornament hanging from Romeo's hand. That is the neat Christmas ornament that I got from the Book Club ornament exchange. (See blog post below to understand more. And no, I didn't have to steal someone's ornament to get it. Now you ask what is it? It is a replica of an antique perfume bottle a lady would wear around her neck to keep away bad smells and to ward off the vapors.)

There are lots of fun My World memes to visit during this fun holiday season. Click here:

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

News Flash: This is a stitch and just a little naughty. Click on The Blog List to the right that is entitled Groggyland. Poor little Andy!