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Willow Glen ornament will adorn White House Xmas tree
Gift shop employee delivers decoration to Air Force One
Paulette Casey, a longtime Willow Glen resident who works at L'Daisy Patch on Minnesota Avenue, has contributed to the decorating efforts of the White House Christmas tree.
Casey on Dec. 1 delivered a one-of-a-kind ornament from the gift and flower shop to Air Force One in San Francisco, where President Clinton was in town for a fundraiser.
Casey has presidential connections: her brother-in-law, Master Sgt. Daniel Casey, is a steward on the presidential Boeing 747. Sgt. Casey called his family when the president landed.
"He gave [us] a call late at night and said, 'I'm flying with the president. Do you guys want a tour?'" Casey says.
Of course, they took him up on his offer.
The Caseys, who live in Willow Glen, decided to familiarize the president with their hometown by offering him a few small tokens. Casey's second brother-in-law, Tim, gave the Clintons a bottle of champagne and a T-shirt from his construction business on Lincoln Avenue.
The Christmas tree ornament, which was handmade by L'Daisy Patch employee Karen Fox, is a white bird in a nest of silk flowers, twigs, evergreen branches and gold and white poinsettias.
L'Daisy Patch also sells smaller variations of the ornament, but "the President's was super-duper," Casey says. "It was elegant." The ornament comes with a legend of the bird's nest, which says that putting a nest in a Christmas tree brings good luck and prosperity.
For Casey, the experience was an eye-opener, from the security measures to the two-hour tour itself. "I sat at Clinton's desk, and I felt his blanket. There was the presidential seal on everything--the razors, seat belts."
Laura Augusta, owner of L'Daisy Patch, vicariously shared Casey's excitement. "I was thrilled for her," she says. "When she came back, she kept saying, 'Whoa, what an experience.'"
The flower shop employee has also gained a human perspective on the commander in chief. "He has really huge feet. I saw his brown shoes. They were humongous--13 1/2. To walk in and see his shoes--I didn't realize his stature."
Casey did not leave Air Force One without the obligatory mementos, such as matches, napkins and M&M candy, all bearing the presidential seal and signature. "I'm guarding them," she says. She says she plans to display the souvenirs and pictures of her experience at L'Daisy Patch, so customers can see them.
Despite her thrill in seeing the Oval Office on wings, Casey remains level-headed about the future of the ornament. "I can't guarantee it will be on the tree," she says. "They could drop it or lose it. So, it should adorn the tree."
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
