Cruising Down the River

My family has an ancient phonograph recording of 3-year-old me singing "Cruising' Down the River on a Sunday Afternoon." I mention this because starting tomorrow we are going to be cruising down the Columbia River. Every time we go on a river cruise I think of that old song.

We'll get up early, drive to the airport and fly away, hopefully without much TSA ado. We are flying from a small regional airport with only 1 gate, so I'm hoping it will not be congested. I called the airport and I was told they were open. 

Watch this space. I might be able to post pictures of the river, but right now, my picture-posting capability has been hindered by the owner of the blog (that's Google btw). If I can post pictures I will...if not, I'll try to describe what is going on. 

Talk to you soon!

Scarpetta

For the last couple of nights we've binge-watched a "new" program on Prime called "Scarpetta." Because we saw it, you don't need to. It's not worth your time.

The program is loosely based on the best selling books written by Patricia Cornwall. Her main character is Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic scientist and Chief Medical Officer for the State of Virginia. The novels are great fun to read. I have enjoyed all of them over the years, so when a series was announced I was hopeful it would be as good as the books. Alas, the books are way better. 

Nicole Kidman plays Kay Scarpetta and Jamie Lee Curtis plays Scarpetta's sister Dot. In the books the two do not get along. In the series the sisters truly dislike one another. The bickering and arguing is done well but it's painful to watch. Dot has a daughter who lives with her auntie Kay and she has a strained relationship with her mother, Dot. As the story progresses, there are flashbacks relating to crimes from the past. They star a 25 years younger Kay Scrapetta and Dot. The flashbacks are difficult to understand and not necessarily linear. Different people play Kay and Dot, which helps determine if the story is set in the past or the present. Of course there's a crime. Of course there are autopsies and medical reports. The supporting characters play their roles well but there are gaps in the story.

After 8 complicated episodes, the season was finally over. All I can say is the story was not woven together well. Both of us had a hard time following the story. What started out as a series of promise turned otherwise. In my humble opinion, don't waste your time. BTW the only reason we watched the whole season is we kept hoping the story would get better. As you can tell, it did not improve. 

Costco

The other day a new Costco opened nearby. On Sunday we took a drive to see it. Sure enough--a brand new BIG Costco. When we arrived at the front door there were 3 electric carts waiting for us...we gladly took possession of 2 of them. For the next hour or more we rolled up and down the wide aisles and took in what this new store has to offer. It was fun in so many different ways. First and foremost--I was inside the store. I've not been to a store in a quite awhile as I don't have the energy to do so. Yesterday, we rolled up and down the aisles and had a blast. Thank goodness for electric carts as they made that little miracle happen. YAY.

Costco was too crowded to have roller car races (we did that one time at the Santa Maria Costco) but we saw and I conquered. We left the giant warehouse and bought fuel and then we continued to our next destination. I was tired...and happy at what I had accomplished. At the second stop, I stayed in the truck while the other DrC went inside. At the third stop, we went to lunch. 

Lunch perked me up a bit and then we had to get home...and that's the second surprise of the day--the other DrC drove. He's not driven much in the last couple of years but yesterday he drove the 40+ miles home. We accomplished 2 milestones yesterday. I went to a store and he drove. Hooray. 

That might not sound like a big deal, but for us, right now, that's BIG. Ever so slowly, I'm getting back to normal. The eye doctor thinks I might have a TIA in my eye. He said that it will take time. I need to be patient and grant myself the gift of time. I'm trying--it's hard. Remember, we're all in this together.

Good News

Yesterday I went to the eye doctor for yet another check up and this time the news was fantastic. I have "normal" vision. The double vision is GONE. It went away on February 10 and has not returned. What a blessing. The doc said the "event" caused swelling of the cranial nerves and now the swelling is gone. I was concerned because I need to renew my driver's license this year--I wanted to know if I could pass the test...so I took the test and I could. This summer I'll renew my license.

Because I have visual acuity I've started making critters again. I've made five kitties as they are the easiest. Unfortunately I cannot post picture of my five kitties as the blog won't let me...in fact the blog is giving me a "hard time" right now. SO--I'm hoping it will publish a text only message with the good news. I CAN SEE.

A Few Laughs

We all need to laugh now and then...I know I do as too many strange things have happened to me recently--so laughter is good medicine.

My friends have been sending me funnies...I hope they give you a laugh too!

I'm doing this -- and I'm taking one day at time...seems to be working

 Is this truth?

Be careful of silent letters?

There are are times when I need this blanket

Oops?

You would think, with thousands of channels to watch there would be something decent on TV?

--and finally for my cat-loving friends...

It's good to laugh!

Busy Hands

Now that I can see, I've returned to crocheting. I made some false starts with toys, but I did not have the acuity to make a toy--and that made me sad. BUT, I did have the acuity to make a blanket. So I've made 3.  I made a blue and white teddy bear blanket for Linda's great grand baby.

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A heart blanket for Darlene's birthday and

Then a pink and white teddy bear blanket for my niece's grand baby

And finally, after all that practice, I had the acuity to make a toy. A tiny teddy bear for the blue and white blanket.

Never again, will I take vision for granted. It's a very special gift that needs to be cherished.

Wintertime in the Desert

It's winter in the desert. And the good news is I can see it clearly. Regular vision returned about a week ago and it's a wonderful thing. I can see the snow in the mountains. I can see the traffic in the street. I can see well enough to read. I can see -- I can see -- I can see! 

We all know the blessing of good vision, but for several weeks I had double vision.  It does not sound like a "bad thing" but trust me, it is a bad thing. One eye sees one image and the other eye sees the same image only doubled. People had 2 heads. People had 4 eyes, 2 noses and 2 mouths. Fingers seemed to grow out of hands everywhere--as a hand with 10 fingers and thumbs is NOT a good thing. Wearing an eyepatch allowed me to see single images but it was definitely limited.

Driving was of course difficult to impossible. As you already know my neighbors are a huge help and they helped me out...but as soon as I got the eyepatch I started practicing walking. Baby steps -- relearning to walk before relearning to drive. With one eye vision is limited to 120 degrees instead of 180 degrees--peripheral vision is very limited with one eye. SO when I felt like I was ready to drive I was extra careful. Thank goodness our town is small and the speed limit is low. I could make it to the store and back. Last weekend, I felt strong enough to drive all the way to the big city nearby on the interstate highway. It worked out well. I even drove to a doctor's appointment there too later in the week. 

It's a slow process. Some days I have energy...some days I don't. I think I might be healing. I want to heal faster but that's not happening. One day at a time. One day where I can enjoy looking at the snowy mountains. Where I can see a slight scree of green on the hillsides saying spring might be coming. I saw a hummingbird in my backyard the other day--I actually saw it--one pretty little hummer--flying ever so quickly thru the garden. I need to take each day as a fresh start. Go slow and enjoy what I can do and not beat myself at what I cannot do. My body is not ready for "normal" living yet, but it's getting there. It had an "event" and now I'm trying to recover from it. Thank you all for giving me encouragement and hope. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Maybe Edition

I'm feeling a bit hopeful tonight. Let me tell you why. This afternoon I drove the other DrC to the store and I waited in the car. It's far too exhausting to go shopping right now (I tried yesterday and it was not any fun). So, I stayed in the car while he bought groceries. 

While waiting for him to return, I pulled out my iPhone and started to play a game...but the car was in the shade and with my sunglasses on, it was too dark to see the screen...I took off my sunglasses. Guess what? I could see the screen without a blur or without double vision. At first, I did not believe what I was seeing, so I closed one eye and looked at the screen...then I closed the other eye and looked at the screen...then I looked at the screen without both eyes and I could see it clearly. No double vision! Then I bravely looked out the car window to see if I could see things outside without double vision and sadly, the double vision was still there--only it was better. Instead of the two images being about 8 inches apart, they were about an inch apart. This is different than what I saw on Friday at the eye doctor's office. It was a LOT different. Since Friday my eyes have started to improve.

When the other DrC came back to the car I told him of my little experiment and he was delighted. I put on my sunglasses with the patch and drove back home. All afternoon I experimented with single vision with both eyes and I've determined that I have single vision to about 30 inches. Past that mark, the double vision returns...but I can feel my eye muscles trying their best to get both eyes in focus on a point.

This evening the other DrC did a "vision test" of having me follow his fingers moving up down right and left. He said both eyes were tracking. Maybe, just maybe, my eyes are on the mend. I'm still energy-free--and I have an excuse for that now. My body is working so hard to get my eyes to work, it does not have time to give me energy too. That's my story and  I'm sticking with it. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: I'm Okay Edition

 I know, it's been a while since I've written. This blog is meant to talk about my life and times in upbeat situations. It's been hard to write about upbeat situations when I'm feeling pretty low. BUT now I have something upbeat to talk about...it's about time too.

I've seen most of my doctors (one more to go on Friday) and they seem to agree on everything. I had an "event." They don't know what the "event" was, but it happened. I did not have a stroke. I do not have any serious diseases like cancer, or MS or anything else...they have all been ruled out. I just had an "event" that caused some problems and now the "problems" have to be worked out and that is going to take time. In other words, all the tests came back "normal" and I need the precious gift of time to heal the rest of the way.  Well, that's good news. I have an idiopathic condition that will get better in time. In other words, I'm recovering from something and they have no idea what it was. It's called the "art and science" of medicine and all doctors have a "practice." There--I've said it over and over again...I'M OKAY. Yay!

Given that, I should be bouncing back to my "normal" self relatively quickly, but that's not happening either. I still have double vision, (it is getting better BTW), I still get wobbly on my feet and use my walker for stability, and worst of all, I have the energy of the slowest snail or slug. I have great intentions to do something around the house only to find I have to sit down and rest every few minutes. The bottom line is my body took a huge hit and I'm on the mend. I need time to get back to where I was.

Through all of this I have two sets of folks to thank: My husband aka the other DrC,  and my wonderful friends and neighbors in  Geezerville. These folks are exceptional--bar none. The other DrC has taken on all of my "jobs" as well as his and I'm wearing the poor guy out. He's chief cook and bottle washer and everything that makes a house run. I can't do the work right now and he is. As for my friends and neighbors, they are so helpful and kind and loving and generous. I've been blessed to live in this wonderful place. Thank you all. I hope you all have a steadfast partner and wonderful friends too. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: I Can Drive

You read that title right..I CAN DRIVE! Now I'm not driving far and I'm not driving alone--but I can drive my car. I've not tried to drive the truck as it's a bit bigger--but it is newer and has all sorts of cameras to help me out. Maybe tomorrow I'll try driving the pickup. 

We live in a small town. The round trip to the grocery store, the mail box and Walmart is 11 miles. The speed limit in town is 25 or 35. Since most of the folks in town are geezers (like me) they ride about town going 25 mph or less. I fit right in. Driving with one eye is a challenge but I'm learning how to judge distances. In addition I'm very very very careful.

To that end, we went to the store! What a treat. Before venturing out into the streets of town, I drove around our cul-de-sac learning how to judge distances. I practiced stopping at a specific place before I went in to the street...and even there I practiced driving in a straight line and making a U-turn. When I got onto the main road, I knew what I was doing. I drove to the store without any problems. I parked the car,  and then I backed out of the parking space.  I drove to the gas pumps without a problem. 

I'm making progress. I still have double vision. I still don't know why I have double vision. I wear an eye patch and I can see clearly with one eye. Don't worry--I'm not speeding and I am being careful. The other DrC is with me all the time. I'm taking it easy while enjoying a new sense of independence. In addition my friends and neighbors are proud of what I can do. That's a neat thing. This "getting old stuff" is not easy, yet with friends and family it's so much better. Remember, cherish these folks as we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Testing Edition

 It's been 3 weeks since I've written in my blog. Please forgive me dear readers as it's been a weird three weeks. If you are brave read on...if not...skip to the end where I say "We're all in this together."

About a month ago I had the headache from h*ll. I wrote about that last time. The headache is gone and it's replaced with double vision. What we don't know is why I have double vision. I do not recommend double vision.

Remember we had planned a cruise to Hawaii? Needless to say, the cruise was canceled. I had more tests. The tests were inconclusive. I was put in the hospital and I had more tests (this is why I call this edition the testing edition). I've been "tested" in so many ways!

As of now, I had 5 CT scans, with and without dye, 2 MRIs with and without dye, and 1 lumbar puncture (which used to be called a spinal tap in the old days). I am waiting for the tests to be completed and interpreted. Thank goodness for insurance! What we do know is significant. I did not have a stroke. That is great news. However, what I have is unknown as I write. I do have double vision.

Double vision is correctable with glasses and I'm ready for that to happen. I hope the reason for double vision is correctable too. I have an appointment with an ophthalmologist in early February to find out more. Slowly I'm getting depth perception and that's a good thing.For now I'm relying on my wonderful friends and neighbors in Geezerville to take me to the doctors, to the store and everything else. My family is helping too...my niece came down for a week and I wished it was longer. I'm blessed and lucky to live in such a wonderful place. In the meantime, I'm wearing an eye patch and I look like a pirate.

As you might know, I like to write about upbeat things and this is certainly as "un-upbeat" as it gets. That's why I've not written. I'm learning how to navigate my house with and without the walker. I'm finding that the walls are not jumping in front of me as they did at first. It takes awhile to adjust to seeing with only one eye. I'm trying to wean myself away from the walker but it's a great security blanket, for lack of a better phrase. The walker gives me extra support as I get wobbly once in a while. Gees...I'm sounding like an ancient person with all my maladies. I do know that I went from "abled" to disabled in a nanosecond. Things change quickly. 

Think of that the next time you take out your best clothes and you say "I'll save them for later." DON'T DO THAT. Dress up now. When you think I'll wait to go to the lake or the mountains or see the kids...don't do that...do it now...things change quickly, I know. I just had it happen. Enjoy stuff NOW as now is where we are. Enjoy what you have. I'm enjoying my life and I have at least one more cruise to go on...and I'm gonna do my best to go on it. You need to do that too. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: It's Good in the Hood Edition

It's been awhile since I've writt3en. I've had a good reason. I have had the headache from He!!. A headache so bad that it has survived 3 ER visits, 2 tur4tledoves and a partridge in a pear tree. The headache has been bad. Finally, after much ado, the headache is more or less managed due to a modern miracle drug called Qulipta (as a person who taught reading I do not like things that are misspelled). It took a while to get up to full dose on this modern miracle but I did that yesterday and the headache has not come back. When it does I'll know what to do. In the meantime, there has been a complication. I have double vision.

I have never thought much about having double vision, but now that I have it, I don't recommend it. I've talked with an eye surgeon and there are many types of double vision. You can have double vision in one eye...you can have horizontal double vision ... and verticals double vision...I seem to have a diagonal form of the malady where I see 2 copies of everything just a bit off kilter. It's quite distressing a to walk with this condition as you really don't know where you are. I've not tried driving. Which leads to the other issue. We are a one driver household, and now the one driver is out of commission. And that's where the "HOOD" comes into the picture.

I've sung poetic about my wonderful hood and once again I'm singing its praises. Folks are helping to drive us to the store, the doctor, to wherever we need to go. I love my hood. In addition to the hood,, my family is sending an envoy for a week to help out. I need the help. I'm walking around with one functioning eye. I have NO depth perception. I have an eye-patch like a pirate and well...it's less than perfect. When I talked with the eye surgeon he said I might have had a mini-stroke in my eye. I see the doc "net year" and we'll find out more. In the meantime I'm at the mercy of my hood and family. 

It's not the best way to end a year, nor start a year. Yet when I think  about what has happened, I could not end the year nor start the year in a better place. I have my folks here to protect me from what is to come.I have no idea what that might be. I'm typing this without reading it for errors ...I can't see well enough to do otherwise. i know with all my heart and soul, this is my hood for a reason. I want to thank all the geezers in the hood for being there. You are all special people. 

To that, I'll bring this to an end. Happy New Year. Appreciate all that you have. Remember, w're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Girlz in the 'Hood Edition

Yesterday, the girlz had a party--no boyz allowed. We had an ornament exchange. The idea is simple, and that added to the fun. First off, we had to buy or make a Christmastree ornament that was special and unique. I searched for the "right"  ornament and so did the others. I didn't want something that was bland or ordinary--it had to be special. I finally found the ornament that "spoke" to me--a clear crystal that looked like a 1000 caret diamond. Clear, shiny, and beautiful--I found my ornament. 

The other girlz did the same finding special holiday creations to decorate a tree. Each ornament was wrapped and on Saturday morning we brought them to Maria's house. Her coffee table was filled with pretty bags, plain bags, decorated boxes and pouches. The idea being to "fox" people into thing a plain bag held something more special than a fancy sequined pouch...it's all part of the deception. We talked, sipped champagne or mimosas, had sweet goodies to nibble on and had a grand time. All too soon, we were asked to draw a number out of a box. I drew number 4. That meant, when it was my turn, I could either pick a new package that had not been opened before or I could "steal" one of the ornaments that had already been opened. 

I chose a new package  and unwrapped a beautiful creation that looked like a 3 dimensional Christmas star. What a gorgeous ornament. Because I liked the ornament a lot I put it back in the box hoping the girlz  would forget about it and not take it from me. Alas, that did not happen. A few numbers later someone asked for my star. Then I got another chance to draw or steal. I was not allowed to steal my star back, so I opened another package. This time I opened up the cutest funkiest snowman ever. I loved him too...but tried not to get too attached, as he could be raided by someone else. The exchange got heated as we opened and raided other ornaments. We laughed a lot.

The drawing continued until we all had an ornament. The girlz had found a collection of the most unique ornaments ever. The party was about to end so we hugged each other goodbye before walking home. What a neighborhood! We are lucky folks to have such a vibrant, caring community. Does it get any better? I don't think so. Tomorrow, I'll give out my "stockings stuffers" to the folks in the 'hood to add to the seasonal cheer. It's a fun thing to do. I hope you and yours have started the Christmas season with a bit of Holiday Cheer too. Remember we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Funnies Edition

We all need to laugh every now and then. The human condition can be terribly funny and when you add technology into the mix, it's either funny or sad---take your pick. To that end, here are some funnies for you

The other day I was transferred 2 times in order to speak to someone who spoke English as a second or third language. Her name was Patsy and she really tried to answer my question but alas, it did not happen

Cats might be the only "people" who believe in a flat earth

So much for autocorrect. I wrote a note to my niece the other day. I meant to write celebrate but cement came out instead.

Now--that's a good time

Hahahaha

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...and you thought it had another meaning?

It's good to laugh. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Paper Moon Edition

Did anyone take a couple of minutes to look at the moon last night? It was a HUGE paper moon. In fact, for the next 2 nights, we'll have the largest moon we'll see in 37 years. Given the fact that I'm officially a geezer, I probably won't be alive when the moon will appear as big as it will in the next 2 nights. 

To be more specific, the moon we saw last night was a "Cool Supermoon" meaning it happened in the cool time of year...and it appeared larger than normal. The best time to see this "Cool Supermoon" is right as it begins to rise in the nighttime sky. I took that picture last night at 4:12 PST.

Not too long after that, the sky grew dark. The moon looked like a huge bright orb hanging in the sky. A beautiful sight to behold. I hope you saw it last night...but there's still time to see it tonight and tomorrow. Remember we're all in this together. 

Life in Geezerville: The Day After the Party Edition

Yesterday was "the day after." Someone at the party asked if I was going to lead chair yoga and I thought "Okay--I'll give it a try." Three ladies showed up and all we did was sit and talk. I didn't even try to start any stretches. We were all exhausted. Finally after an hour of talking, Darlene said "are we doing chair yoga?" 

We got into our chairs and did a quick 10 minute session. It was good...then we went on our merry ways. I guess chair yoga has caught on. The stretches are good--the camaraderie is better.

The biggest deal was getting thru "The Event." Three of us pulled off the Thanksgiving Party in the 'hood. How about that!  It was a lot of work. We cooked and cleaned and cleaned again. I cleaned after I got home from the party, as the kitchen was a mess. I think I cleaned the stove 3 times on Thanksgiving....who knew I could still cook that much? You might ask if it was worth it...and the answer is a resounding YES. We had a grand time. I hope y'all survived the day and are ready for the next holiday which comes sooner than you think. Remember, we're all in this together. 

Life in Geezerville: To Spatchcock or Not Edition

I cooked the bird and the other DrC carved the bird and the folks in the 'hood ate the bird. In fact it was pretty well received...BUT...I'm not going to spatchcock a turkey again. Putting a turkey in an oven bag is much easier and the results are just about the same or maybe a bit better.

What was better was the dressing. It was soaked in turkey juices and it was yummy. And, since I made a a double batch of dressing we had enough of it for everyone to have seconds. It would be nice to have the oven bag turkey and the juicy dressing at the same time, but alas that's not going to happen with this recipe.

Our little Thanksgiving celebration in the 'hood was wonderful. The food was abundant. The friendship warm. It was a great day. I have a lot to be thankful for just living in such a wonderful 'hood. I hope you had a happy and joyful day too. Remember, we're all in this together. 

Life in Geezerville: Thanksgiving Edition

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Back in the day when I was teaching elementary school, I would have my kids write about what they were thankful for on this day. The responses ranged from  --  I'm thankful for my mom and dad -- once in awhile I heard they were thankful their parents were not divorced as Johnny's mom and dad got divorced and it's awful--or I'm thankful for my new shoes--or my family--or my cousin Ralphy. Once in awhile I read someone was thankful for a new baby sister or brother. The one I liked the best was a child who was thankful for a baby brother because the brother needed so much attention he could finally get some peace and quiet.

Later, when I taught older "kids" at university level I would ask the same question...and the answers were very similar, but answers like "I'm thankful the rent got paid this month" showed up--or I'm thankful my car is still running--a few would say they were thankful for their faith in God-- others would say they were thankful for a new found love. 

There's lots to be thankful for. There's not a right answer or a wrong answer. It's a time to reflect on what you are thankful for. As I get older I'm thankful for a good husband...good health -- good memories --good family-- a brain that still works -- good friends --- and so much more. What are you thankful for?

Right now, it's the calm before the storm. The turkey needs to be readied--it's been brining for 2 days. The dressing needs to be made, as does the gravy. Soon I'll get all of that into the oven and get ready for a feast with the wonderful folks in the 'hood. My heart is full this Thanksgiving Day. I hope your day is filled with love and hope and joy too. Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Pickle Edition, Part 2

 Guess what? It appears the Pickle in the Christmas Tree tradition is NOT German. It might be uniquely American. The jury is out as to how the "tradition' started. I'll try to recount a few ways.

One source says that glass ornament factory in Lausch, Germany began making Christmas ornaments in the shape of different fruits and vegetables--including a pickle. These ornaments were sold to many different countries....but some were shipped to the US...and sold at  Woolworth Five and Dime.  In this version of the "story" Woolworths was having a hard time selling the pickle ornament so they developed a legend of the pickle in the tree. The legend caught people's attention and lo and behold the tradition was born.

Another source starts with that same glass factory making various fruit and veggie ornaments. They built a story about the pickle in order to make it more popular.

Another source says that most Germans do not know of the tradition and of those who do, less than 10% practice the tradition. In other words, it's not a big deal.

Another source says it's an American tradition...to honor a man who was imprisoned an Andersonville during the civil war. He asked the guard for a pickle at Christmastime, the guard gave him one, and by some miracle he survived...so a pickle is placed in a tree to commemorate that occasion. 

Clearly, no one really knows how the lowly pickle ended up hiding in a Christmastree. It is probably an American tradition with some German roots. The tradition is not widely practiced in Germany nor the US...but it is fun to talk about. Since I wrote part 1 of this blog I've some fun discussions about Christmastree Pickles in my art class, in the beauty shop, at a birthday party and during morning yoga. Folks who have never heard of the tradition have the same reaction I had..."ya gotta be kidding me" The tradition (if you want to call it that) is "out there." It's fun to talk about. It does no harm. It's all a good thing. From now on, I'll have a pickle in my Christmas tree. Will you? Remember, we're all in this together.

Life in Geezerville: Pickle Edition

Today, I received a very special present. A pickle ornament to hide in my Christmas tree. Do you know anything about the "Pickle in the Christmas tree tradition?" Until two weeks, I was completely uniformed about the pickle in the tree tradition. At that time my friends had just put up their Christmas tree and Linda told me it even had a pickle hidden in it. I said "Why would you hide a pickle in your Christmas tree? What a strange thing to do." All the time, I'm wondering who on earth hides a great green pickle in a tree?  

Slowly, Linda explained the old German tradition. Since my mother was German, why had I never heard of this "old German tradition?" Of course I searched the internet and sure enough there is a pickle in the tree tradition. No one really knows where it started and why a pickle was chosen as the object to be hidden, but it is something of a feature at Christmastime. It seems to be more German than any other ethnicity too.

Last week, at my art class and I asked if folks knew about the pickle tradition and about half of the class did -- the other half were in the dark like me. Do you know about the pickle tradition? Do you have a pickle hidden in your Christmas tree? 

My pickle ornament came with a little story explaining the tradition. Apparently, a pickle ornament is hidden in the Christmas tree, and on Christmas morning the first person (usually a child) to find the pickle gets a special prize. So now my tree has a pickle. So, if you want to have a bit more excitement around your tree, hide a pickle in it. Remember, we're all in this together.