My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that? –Bob Hope
I’m guessing most of you do have up your Christmas tree, but I’m confessing that I don’t. But when I do get it up this weekend, I hope, it will look just like this. I don’t change much from year to year.
December has come so fast this year. I know. I know. That’s a sign of adding on a few years. When I was a kid, Christmas took forever to come, but not these days. So, I do need to drag that tree box up from the basement and rescue my Santa decorations from the attic soon. Very soon.
I admire people who put up multiple trees. I have a daughter-in-law who has a tree in every room and more than one in her dining room. The trees all look great. But me, I must take after my grandmother who never wanted to bother with a tree in the house. My mother said they hung their stockings on a rocking chair.
While I did use many of my mother’s memories in the background of my Rosey Corner books, I did let Kate and Lorena have a Christmas tree and a few presents in Love Comes Home. Of course nothing like you see under trees these days. My mom’s stocking would have an orange in the toe and some candy and a peppermint stick. She said she did remember getting a doll one year.
Things have changed. They’ve even changed since I was a kid and couldn’t wait until we got the Sears and Roebuck Christmas catalogue so that I could do some Christmas wishing. The Santa Claus in our family gave us a price limit. We got to pick out toys that didn’t go over that price. Gave us some good math practice while we were dreaming.
But back to my mom’s Christmas memories. They didn’t have a Christmas tree until her youngest sister talked their dad into bringing in a cedar when Mom was a teenager.
I’m not that bad. I want a tree and so far I’ve always gotten the tree decorated before Christmas day. So far. Back when my kids were young, we would go out into the
field to hunt a cedar tree to chop down and drag to the house. We always picked one that was way too big. Those trees just look smaller out there in the field. And greener and not so lopsided. As you can probably tell, I wasn’t the best tree picker, so most of the time Darrell took care of that chore. Thank goodness. He was definitely better at it.
Cedars smell good sitting in your living room, but they are sticky. Not so bad when you decorate them, but very prickly when you take the ornaments off after Christmas. Especially those foil icicles. Any of you remember those? Plus cedars dry out fast even if you set them in a bucket of water. That makes them a fire hazard especially when they sit in the same room as your woodstove the way ours did back then. But we were always careful and kept the sparks away from the tree.
I’ve gotten modern now with an artificial tree, but I sometimes think how my dad would frown if he knew I paid good money for a fake tree when the fields are full of cedars that need to be cut down.
My dad didn’t overflow with Christmas spirit. He didn’t actually say Bah, humbug, but sometimes you wondered if he was thinking it. Then, there were a few times when he’d go to Louisville and buy us something we weren’t expecting at a warehouse or secondhand shop. One Christmas he brought in a turntable record player. It didn’t have a case, but that didn’t stop it from playing music. It played LPs and 45’s and even had a spindle where you could stack on the records and listen till they ran out. We were happy and that record player worked for years. So he wasn’t exactly a Scrooge. He just left most of the merry preparations up to Mom and my aunt, his sister. They made Christmas fun.
Hope you have many great Christmas memories. I’d love it if you would share some of your favorite memories.
When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things — not the great occasions — give off the greatest glow of happiness. –Bob Hope
What makes you smile when you remember Christmases of the past?
And the Winners Are:
The winners of my Christmas newsletter contest are Pamela Stump who won the Believe Nativity decoration and one of my books and Paula Oliver and Amy Bradsher who both win their choice of one of my books. So, ladies, check your e-mails.
If you played along with my newsletter giveaway fun, thank you. And maybe you’ll win next time. I’ll do a Christmas giveaway here next week.
Wishing you much happiness and joy. Always joy.
Comments 23
I put up a small tree given to me my a dear friend who’s been in Heaven a year now.
One of my sisters has a birthday on December 13th. So that was the day we put up our tree every year. There were 7 of us kids, so that was a lot of fun and laughter.
It took me two weeks, but my apartment is decorated inside and out! My brother’s birthday was January 6th, Epiphany or as some call it, Little Christmas. Our tree was always left up until after the sixth. I still do this today. His oldest son was born on December 26th, so he always got an extra gift.
We have a Very tiny tree this year. Between dad and mom taking turns at the hospital and me being the one there…I didn’t get to decorate this year. Actually in a short down time I texted my daughter asking what she and her dad were doing. I wrote Christmas? She replied that maybe we could do it Sunday or even next week. I got home late that night They had decorated! So beautiful and different from what I’d done before so it was even more special! What a delightful gift when I got home that night!
And Christmas memory? We would put out all our goodies and munchies and let the kids eat what they wanted.
We’d buy a dvd and we’d watch that that evening together. Special times!
Author
Sometimes things get in the way of what we usually do when you have to help your loved ones during sick times, Shari. But what a fun gift your daughter and your husband gave you by surprising you with doing the decorating. It’s good you admired their work and didn’t worry that it was different from you had usually done. That made the gift of their time and work even better for all of you.
Those Christmas memories are the best. Glad you have good ones to recall.
When I was growing up, our family would go out looking for that perfect cedar also. My Dad was a rabbit hunter, so he always kept an eye out for a good tree while he was hunting and then he would just lead us to it. It was still fun tromping through the woods to go get it though.
I remember the foil icicles too and the tinsel trying to get it on the tree to hang pretty instead of wanting to just toss it on.
Author
Sounds like your dad did the tree hunting for you and then gave you all the pleasure of “finding” it, Connie. Those foil icicles had to be put on the tree one at a time for them to really look good, but that took a while. And then being thrifty, we tried to take them off and keep them straight to use the next year.
Congratulations to the winners! I so remember looking through the Sears, and Roebuck catalog also J.C Penney’s done a catalog also I always loved looking through the wish books at Christmas time and My Dad and Mom going to get a Christmas tree so we could decorate! The years go by so fast anymore and I can remember when all my children were at home and we went out to the woods and cut a tree down ! Have a Very Merry Christmas everyone !
Author
Fun memories, Sarah. My sister and I almost wore those wish book catalogs out when we were kids. And we did enjoy getting set up that cedar tree and decorate it. We even tried stringing popcorn one year but it takes a lot of popcorn to make a long string.
My tree is up and the lights are on but only a few ornaments. I have to do it slowly as I have spine issues and just cannot stand for long periods of time. I may have to ask my housekeeper to do the village under the tree because bending is also a problem. When I was a child the tree went up Christmas Eve after I was in bed. Santa brought the tree. Those silver icicles were everywhere! I was never a fan of tossing them on the tree any which way. I placed them on each branch a few at a time. One year my mother decided to be funny and put coal in my stocking. I really was a well behaved child, and I cried and cried!! I was the youngest of the three of us, spaced nine years apart. As a result I received lots of stuff, like a new doll every year and all the accoutrements. One year it was twin dolls, Pete and Repeat, really!!! By contrast, my mother had one doll and it got a new outfit each year, but she had seven siblings. However they had a pet chicken that they would put in a doll carriage. Apparently if you rock a chicken it will stay still. I have always been a reader and would get a few books, they would be read in days and it was off to the library! I loved The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew. Happy and Blessed Holidays to all who read this.
Author
Thank you so much for sharing your Christmas memories, Marjorie. Those twin dolls, Pete and Repeat, are funny. I used to say that little joke to my aunt all the time after she taught it to me. Pete and Repeat sat on a log. Pete fell off. Who stayed on? And of course, the answer is Repeat. So, you say it all again. I thought that was hilarious when I was a kid.
That coal in your stocking wasn’t much fun for you, but it made quite a memory for you to share down through the years. I didn’t know that about chickens. I did know if you stick their heads under their wings, they think it’s night and go to sleep or something. A handy bit of knowledge if you’re carrying a chicken around. LOL. Your mom’s pet chicken must have been a great feathered doll for they.
I hope you still get to enjoy books for Christmas.
Speaking of Sears Wish Book, I worked in the catalog at Sears, I wish I would have kept count over 10 years of how many of them I handed out, and wow the orders I took and packages I handed out to customers. Such a busy time of year for Sears. It was the most rewarding job I ever had
. I also have five trees, in my home it takes me three weeks to get everything the way I want it, but my family likes what I do, just hope I can keep it up for years to come.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Author
What fun to know someone who got to be a Santa assistant at Sears, Donna Jean. I ordered some of my kids’ gifts from the catalog when they were little. But I do remember how much fun it was to look through those catalogs and dream of all the great presents.
Your house must glow at Christmas time. I know your family appreciates your efforts in making the Christmas bright for them.
When my boys were little, 50 years ago , I always bought their pants from the Sears Catalog because the knees were reinforced already. Little boys can be hard on the knees of their pants!!
Christmas at my Grandmother’s house was so special…I have tried to recreate it over the years but always seem to fall short. My Grandmother was my best friend so it stands to reason that it was her presence, nothing else that made Christmas for me so special. The first Christmas with my children were the next in my heart.
I am so happy to have won your contest. I would love to have “These Healing Hills”. Please let me know what else you need from me.
Author
I know what you mean about those Christmases with your grandmother. Christmas Ever with the aunt I mention in my post who was like a grandmother to us always was the best. After she died, Christmas wasn’t the same. That first year was dreadfully sad. I hope my grandkids will have good memories of Christmas at my house.
It was fun that your name was the first number up on my newsletter contest, Pamela. How I do it is I start numbering the emails as I get them with the first ones number one and on. Then I pick the numbers by Random Number online. You were number 119. The other winning numbers were 25 and 77.
I sent you an email. Private message me back your address.
I agree that Christmases were never the same after my Grandmother passed away. I too hope my Grandson remembers and enjoys the Christmases we have spent together.
I look forward to reading many more of your books. I have sent you the info you requested.
I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a wonderful New Year full of blessings!
Congratulations to the winners!
No tree up at my house yet, but it’s on my checklist of things to get done this week. Hopefully. I’ve been listening to Christmas music while I sew and pulled out some if my very old Christmas LPs to enjoy. Nothing takes me down memory lane faster than music, and those old records are my favorites.
I have several great Christmas memories as a child, but the best memory of all was Christmas Eve just 15 years ago when I was blessed with 2 grandbabies…not twins, but firstborns of my 2 youngest sons. Time surely does fly by faster now than when we were younger. Those Christmas babies are in high school already!
Author
On my list too, Lavon. I’ll get it done this weekend. I was sort of hoping a grandkid or two might want to come help. Do your grandbabies help you decorate yours?
Thanks for sharing the picture of your sons with their babies on FB. So fun. That had to be a special year, for sure.
And you’re right about that music. Sounds and scents can put us on a memory trail fast as anything. We have one LP of Christmas songs that we have to play every year.
I do have my tree up but it is a first for me. When I was at home the tree did not go up until after my birthday which was December 12th. Your record player jogged my memory. I had a small one in a case that had the spindle where you could stack the 45rpms. I used that thing until I went to college. It played The Big Rock Candy Mountain until the Beatles came on the scene.
We did not get what kids get today. We were lucky to get 2 small items. My birthday was too close to Christmas!! ( I did get a birthday present though. My grandchildren are overindulged. Most children are today. Christmas comes quicker now but I love the memories of childhood Christmas most of all.
Author
Christmas memories can be fun, Janice. I do hope the kids these days have those good memories too and remember special presents.
Those record players were fun. I never had many records, but my sister would buy some and that was way before headphones. So if she listened, I got to listen too. 🙂
Happy early birthday or happy birthday month. A Christmas birthday can make your birthday not quite the noted day it can be in other months. My sister has a December 11th birthday. I have known some people with Christmas birthdays who just celebrate their birthday and a half in June.
When I was the last child (probably of high school age) living at home, my mother and father took me out shopping for my “big” Christmas present. I had requested a nice clock radio. While I knew that my father would shop around comparing prices, models, etc., I thought he would buy the present during our shopping outing. However, we came home with nothing, and I was quite disappointed. When my mother and I were in the car and Daddy was not, Mother explained that Daddy had already purchased my gift, so I should not be discouraged. I guess he wanted me to appreciate the gift when I received it and teach me to comparison shop for things. On Christmas Day, I did receive a very nice clock radio.
Author
Glad you got the gift you wanted and got to see the care your dad took to get the best radio at the best price, Suzanne. It’s interesting seeing the difference in what we wished for then and what kids wish for now. Phones and computers have taken the place of ponies, I think. LOL. When I was a teen, I wanted a desk. A desk for writing. And I did get it. Still have it, in fact although I have a differnt desk for writing now.