{"id":2978,"date":"2010-12-25T08:32:40","date_gmt":"2010-12-25T16:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodiddy.com\/?p=2978"},"modified":"2010-12-25T09:00:08","modified_gmt":"2010-12-25T17:00:08","slug":"sassman-memory-farm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodiddy.com\/?p=2978","title":{"rendered":"Sassman Memory Farm"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year I love to look at Christmas lights. My parents have some pretty amazing streets in their neck of the woods. The fab 40’s in Sacramento also have some\u00a0Christmas wonder\u00a0shared through their\u00a0lights and displays – but Kristen found a magical place in Point Pleasant and she took me to see it after our High-Hand<\/a> day. It felt like we drove into the middle of no where… then there were lights. Lots of lights glowing in the distance. We headed towards them and cars lined every\u00a0inch of the surrounding street.<\/p>\n

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The owners of the\u00a0Sassman Memory Farm\u00a0string thousands of beautiful lights and display Christmas decorations all over their farm property for family, neighbors and complete strangers who come from afar. They open their magical outdoor home to all visitors – offering homemade cider, cookies and a seat by the fire. Santa even makes a special\u00a0appearance some\u00a0nights.<\/p>\n

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Judy and Earl Sassman started their display in 1993 after losing their beloved daughter Rhonda to cancer in 1992. Judy felt that by\u00a0hanging a personal\u00a0bell ornament on her memory tree, it brought the memory of her daughter a little closer during the holidays.\u00a0\u00a0She later began to think of others that had lost loved ones and how hard the holidays must be for them too.\u00a0They both felt that fond memories are part of the Christmas spirit, so every year they put out blank wooden bell ornaments for people to leave messages to their loved ones. Each ornament is hung from one of the memory trees in the memory forest\u00a0– the display\u00a0has really\u00a0grown over the years. Judy passed away in 1997, but Earl has kept her vision going. I read that Earl put up over 100,000 lights in the front and back yards of their home this year. The displays include a pair of tractors,\u00a0animated reindeer, a ski scene,\u00a0giant lollipops, a nativity scene\u00a0and a 5 foot angel on top of a 33 foot tree.<\/p>\n

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Even though there is sadness when looking at the huge number of bells that hang from the memory trees,\u00a0 the love of this family and the\u00a0community shine through. I can’t put into words the amount of magic I felt walking through\u00a0this little farm. It’s not some crazy over the top Guiness Book of World Records display… but it sure does an amazing job of filling your heart with the spirit of Christmas joy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thank you Kristen for bringing me to the farm. I’m thinking I might have a new Christmas\u00a0tradition.<\/p>\n

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May all of your fond memories keep those that are no longer with us, close to your heart during the holidays.\u00a0
\nMerry Christmas,
\n\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every year I love to look at Christmas lights. My parents have some pretty amazing streets in their neck of the woods. The fab 40’s in Sacramento also have some\u00a0Christmas wonder\u00a0shared through their\u00a0lights and displays – but Kristen found a magical place in Point Pleasant and she took me to see it after our High-Hand … <\/p>\n

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