Computer whiz

I’m not going to pretend to know what I’m missing out on, but this penguin apparently came with a pass code that would have let me into the online world of Webkinz, presumably to find a virtual version of this ornament and a bunch of his animated friends. I’m just in this for the ornament and to have a souvenir of my trip to Florida a couple of Thanksgivings ago. I was in New York this Thanksgiving with a small gathering of the northern division of my family. I didn’t post a penguin ornament yesterday, but I did see a couple of them in a store window that I might go back for after Christmas, if I can hold out that long. It’s not that I forgot to post on the blog yesterday. It’s just that I was having fun with my relatives, I was far away from my ornament notes and I fell asleep early after two rounds of turkey.

Webkinz Ring in the Season penguin with gold bell

Acquired: Nov. 30, 2010,, Cracker Barrel, Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Number: 0574

Size: 2.5 inches tall

Price: $5.99

The gang’s all here

Here it is, the largest single set of penguin ornaments in my collection. I call them the sports group because most of them seem to be togged out for various recreational activities, but not all of them. Actually they’re not all here. Each one has a serial number, from 5415 to 5438, and I’m missing at least two numbers: 5432 and 5435. Most of them came from the American Candle Factory in Bartonsville, Pa., but I had already bought the scuba diver and the one with the inner tube earlier months before at A Christmas Place in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where they very kindly let me exchange the inner tube penguin a day later after I discovered that one of its feet was broken off. I have a descriptive name for each one of these ornaments, but when I try to figure out which one is which I end up with names and penguins that don’t match. I don’t remember if I made up the names or if they came with the ornaments. If I figure it out, I’ll post an update.

Chillinz scuba diver and inner tube penguins

Acquired: April 2, 2008, A Christmas Place, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Number: 0454 0455

Size: 2 to 2.25 inches tall

Price: $4 and $3 (no explanation for the price difference)

Chillinz gang penguins

Acquired: November 2, 2008, American Candle Factory, Bartonsville, Pa.

Number: 0528 through 0547

Size: 2 to 2.5 inches tall

Price: $3.99 each

Snowballs

These two cutaway globes feature vignettes of a family of three penguins inside one ornament and a parent and child in the other. I don’t know if they are ceramic or plaster, but they each weigh a ton. The outside of the balls are nicely decorated with glitter and snowflakes.

Two heavy snowballs with penguin family scenes inside

Acquired: April 2, 2008, A Christmas Place, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Number: 0456 0457

Size: 3 inches diameter

Price: $6 each

Blue beauty

This glittery blue penguin accented with diamond rhinestones came from a great Christmas store near where I used to live years ago in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. I had found the place in the yellow pages while I was visiting relatives. By the time I was ready to check out I had a whole shopping basket full of penguins. I asked how long the store had been there, thinking it must be a new place. “About 35 years,” the clerk told me. I couldn’t believe it. I had probably driven by the place hundreds of times and never noticed it and I even went several times to another store in the same shopping center.

December Diamonds glittery penguin with rhinestone accents

Acquired: April 12, 2008, A Christmas Place, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Number: 0453

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $15

Universal soldiers 5: Just one more

I found this last ornament while I was getting ready to check out with my hefty haul of penguins at The Christmas Shoppe. Then it was off to The Incredible Hulk where the entire family had reconvened. We had to wait for a couple of them to finish their last ride on the roller coaster before having dinner at a restaurant called Mythos that looked like a cave inside. It was nice finish to a long day, one that turned out to be a lot of fun despite all the mishaps. We had one more incident on the way out of the park. We had to stop at Starbucks for a caffeine nightcap where one of the kids’ dumped a drink on the floor. It caused a small commotion in the store, but for us it was just another incident in an event-filled day.

Sterling spun glass penguin with pink top hat, green body and gold wings

Acquired: November 24, 2007, The Christmas Shoppe, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Orlando

Number: 0427

Size: 3 inches tall

Price: $5.95

Universal soldiers 4: Shaking the tree

In addition to all the penguin ornaments on display on the shelves, The Christmas Shoppe had a tall tree decorated with the very same ornaments. I noticed two ornaments on the tree that I couldn’t find on the shelves however. It was the two smaller versions of the clown-like pair featured today. I told the clerk, David, that I wanted the two smaller penguins off the tree if he didn’t have any others in stock. He checked in the back room first, then told me it would be about “10 minutes” before he could get a ladder to reach the ornaments. “I don’t suppose they’d let us climb up on the shelves (which were next to the tree)?” I asked. It was clear to me by now that David wasn’t happy about all of this and that he probably wanted me to go away and settle for the dozen or so ornaments I had already picked out. I waited, a few groups of customers came, and after they were taken care of, I asked about the ladder again. Without a word, David disappeared into the back. A few moments later Brianne appeared to watch the register, and then David returned with the ladder. All of this was for two little ornaments, but I’m glad I persevered because these are awesome penguins and it’s nice having them in two sizes.
I actually have another version of these penguins in a salt and pepper set that came to me as a gift. I think I have details about who and when written down somewhere, but I haven’t kept very good track of all my other penguins like I have with the Christmas ornaments. And I also have another set of penguins from The Christmas Shoppe, but they are candle holders and don’t look anything like any of the ornaments I bought. My sister Gale sneaked behind my back while I was enthralled with all the ornaments. Maybe when I unpack everything this year I can take a picture and post an update.

Large and small pairs of Kurt Adler clown-like penguins

Acquired: November 24, 2007, The Christmas Shoppe, Universal Islands of Adventure, Orlando

Number: 0419 0420 0428 0429

Size: 7 inches, 8 inches and 4 inches tall

Price: $19.85 each (large), $9.95 each (small)

Universal soldiers 3: The family that plays together

Our luck changed with the rides, but not so for some in our group. One of the kids lost his lunch fromn the dizzying effects of one of the rides, or maybe it was those waffle fries, or both. Another family member nearly passed out from heat exhaustion and had to be taken to first aid for a few hours. The rest of us pressed on and, as darkness began to fall, we headed to Universal’s other park, Islands of Adventure. Almost everyone wanted to go on the Incredible Hulk roller coaster, but I had to pass on that one. Instead, I planned to check out the Christmas Shoppe, which I had spotted earlier on a park guide. “Don’t you want to go on the way out?” someone asked me. “No, no. I’ll go now and find the rest of you later.” I knew myself and Christmas stores too well. This one turned out to be a jackpot with one wall filled with the penguin ornaments on yesterday’s post and another wall with today’s six glass ornaments. There was also a tall display penguin tree with a story of its own.

All acquired November 24, 2007, The Christmas Shoppe, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Orlando

Designers Studio Family of three on a snow backdrop

Number: 0421

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $9.95

Designers Studio penguin with candy cane lollipop, green top hat and vest

Number: 0422

Size: 3.75 inches tall

Price: $9.95

Designers Studio Unique Treasures penguin with pink hair bow and scarf, Christmas tree lights

Number: 0423

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Price: $9.95

Designers Studio Unique Treasures penguin with gold earmuffs, pink and silver scarf

Number: 0424

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Price: $9.95

Designers Studio Unique Treasures penguin with pink earmuffs and peppermint lollipop

Number: 0425

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Price: $9.95

Designers Studio Unique Treasures family of four with stocking caps

Number: 0426

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Price: $9.95

Universal solders 1: A walk in the park

Somewhat less than a year after having triple coronary artery bypass grafts, I found myself in the middle of the Universal Studios theme park near Orlando with more than a dozen family members. A couple of years before about 24 of us mobbed Disney all at once with great success, so we didn’t expect any problems this time either. It didn’t work out that way, but we persevered until we had squeezed our money’s worth of fun out of the place. I think I was the big winner, because I found a Christmas shop inside the park and went home with about 4 shopping bags full of ornaments. Here’s one of them, a realistic emperor penguin. Its black feathers have a velvety texture. Over the next few days I’ll be telling more of the Universal story, and you’ll get to see the rest of the loot I hauled in that day.

Seasons of Cannon Falls Inspiring Traditions fuzzy emperor

Acquired: November 24, 2010, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Orlando

Number: 0418

Size: 3.75 inches tall

Price: $6.95

Big feet, little head

Are the feet too big? Is the head too small? I guess it depends on your point of view. Like Steven Wright says, “Some people see a glass that’s half empty. Some see a glass that’s half full. I see a glass that’s twice as big as it needs to be.”

Big rotund penguin with huge feet and/or a tiny head

Acquired: November 21, 2007, Volusia Mall, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Number: 0412

Size: 5.5 inches tall

Price: $3.99

Sad sack

I’m a sucker for long-faced penguins like this one. He looks like he doesn’t have a friend in the world or a penny to pinch. All he has is a little blue Christmas light bulb (probably burnt out) tied to a loop of silvery string. The label on this one said it came from a company called Merry, Merry Simply Christmas.

Sad felt penguin with Christmas light on a string, Santa hat and purple scarf

Acquired: Nov. 21, 2007, Sears Volusia Mall, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Number: 0411

Size: 6 inches tall

Price: $2.99

Stand clear!

Here come some fast-moving penguins, two on skis, one on a sled, and you’ve got to be on the lookout because these three see-through penguins might be hard to spot  as they rush downhill.

Clear acrylic skiers and sledder with silver highlights

Acquired: November 19, 2007, Macy’s Seminole Town Center, Sanford , Fla.

Number: 0408 0409 0410

Size: 2.25 to 2.75 inches tall

Price: $4.20 each (originally $7)

Snow globes

I like these two ornaments featuring a loving penguin couple and a family of three inside clear snow-filled and snow-covered globes. They look fragile, but the globes are plastic, not glass, which means I don’t have to worry too much about breaking them.

Two plastic globes with loving penguins and penguin family

Acquired: Nov. 19, 2007, Macy’s Seminole Town Center, Sanford, Fla.

Number: 0406 0407

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $6 (originally $10)

A pair o' peppermint penguins

Sometimes I have a feeling that I might be buying a duplicate ornament, sometimes not. And it doesn’t matter if the two are a week apart or, like these two penguins, a year apart. It’s just impossible for my aging brain to keep track of all 800 plus penguins. One reason I started the blog was to give me access to the collection wherever I might be. We’ll see how it goes as we get closer and closer to Christmas.

Two glass penguins with Santa hats and peppermint-striped scarves

Acquired: November 19, 2007, Macy’s Seminole Town Center, Sanford, Fla.

November 16, 2008, Fountains of Wayne, N.J.

Number: 0405 0569

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $6 (40 percent off); $7.99 (15 percent off)

Red hat and a candy cane

I went along for the ride with a group of relatives who were shopping for practical things like shoes and television sets. I slipped away here and there as we made our way around the mall and came home with a handful of ornaments, including this nice glass penguin from Macy’s that was on sale.

Acquired: Nov. 19, 2007, Macy’s Seminole Town Center, Sanford, Fla.

Number: 0404

Size: 3 inches tall

Price: $3.60 (originally $6)

Milestone

Ornament No. 300 is one of my favorites. It looks like a teething ring, except for those tiny dangling parts that would be horrible choking hazards. Too bad, because this ornament could keep a baby busy for hours. The wings are attached with springs and the jingle bells make a racket at even the slightest touch. It makes me happy just to see and touch it. Thanks to ornaments like this one, I go out of my way to stop at Cracker Barrel around Christmas time, even if I don’t get anything to eat.

Jingly penguin that looks like a teething ring

Acquired: September 4, 2006, Cracker Barrel, St. Augustine, Fla.

Number: 300

Size: 4.5 inches tall

Price: $2.99

Pop goes the penguin!

You can’t close the lid, there’s no crank and no music, but this penguin is mounted on a spring and it wiggles like a jack-in-the-box clown when you shake it. Cracker Barrel came through with another excellent penguin ornament. It was a real bargain too. But wait ‘til you see tomorrow’s penguin, also from Cracker Barrel.

Jack-in-the-box penguin

Acquired: September 4, 2006, Cracker Barrel, St. Augustine, Fla.

Number: 0299

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $3.99

Rubber legs

Is it good or bad to have “rubber legs” if you are a skier? All I know is that mine usually feel like rubber after a day on the slopes. This skiing penguin is made from glued-together pieces of a rubbery material. It’s not flexible, but has a soft feel to it. Another odd thing about this ornament is that it looks three-dimensional, but it’s almost flat. Even the skis, which look like they stick out in front, are almost flat to the penguin’s body. It’s a nice artistic trick on a nicely designed penguin ornament. I found it at a Christmas store in Old St. Augustine on one of my trips to Florida. It was a big store and I was prepared to fill up a couple of shopping bags, but this was the only penguin ornament they had.

Rubbery penguin skier

Acquired: September 2001

Number: 185

Size: 4.5 inches tall

Over a barrel

After finding this crazy ornament at a Cracker Barrel store, I now go out of my way to look for penguin Christmas ornaments there. It was the first time I had ever been to a Cracker Barrel, after the Florida-Georgia football game with my sister Gale. I have to admit I liked the place and the food. I've found a few other good ornaments over the years at different stores, but none quite like this first one with a rubbery skating penguin sprawled across a frost-covered silver ball and tangled in a string of lights.

Acquired: October 30, 1999, Cracker Barrel, Jacksonville, Fla.
Number: 0152
Size: 4 inches tall

Frosty the penguin

Is it a penguin or a snowman? Those pointed arms look like wings to me, but I’ll concede this one could go either way. This was the only item that looked anything like a penguin ornament at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. I really like the icicle design and I wish I had bought a dozen of them to scatter around the tree.

As I write this, there’s a cold snap in Florida, and the strawberry growers are working to keep their crops from freezing. One technique is to spray water on the plants to coat them with ice that traps the warmth inside. It makes the strawberries look kind of like this ornament with icicles hanging off each one. Keep your fingers crossed. We want them to have enough fruit for the strawberry shortcake booths at the festival this year.

This ornament is the first one with a designated number. I hope to determine an order for the ones that preceded it and assign numbers to all of them.

Acquired: March 10, 2002. Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City.

Number: 194

Price: no record.

Size: about 5.5 inches tall.

All's fair

This small glass penguin was probably not intended to be a Christmas ornament. I’m not even sure it’s a penguin. Sometimes I take liberties and use my imagination. I found it at the Italian Renaissance Festival at Vizcaya in Miami, Fla. I probably chose this one because the red wings and beak are a Christmas color.

Acquired: March 1998. Miami, Fla.

Number: 0106

Price: no record.

Size: about 2 inches tall.