Early Christmas Memories ~ continued...

More memories...

( to read in order- see stories #1 & #2 in previous post )


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#3

Mama's Christmas Tree

Never did we have a 'bought' Christmas tree, but one chopped down from some surrounding wooded area by my brother or Daddy. ( I hope with permission! :) )

Our earliest Christmas trees, naturally, had no electric lights. Still, they were elaborately decorated with colorful ornaments! These were of glass, celluloid, paper and sometimes balls of tinfoil, collected and made from juicy fruit gum wrappers by my older sisters!

* This is our whole family -very early days ~1945*

In later Christmases we had electric bubble lights on our tree! Mama loved those lights, and, so, did we all! Mama always wanted foil icicles hanging from the very tips of each branch, and as a finishing touch, Angel Hair covering the whole tree! What a beautiful glow that made! Another of Mama's favorites were the paper honey- comb type bells to hang at the windows and doors! These were in the deepest reds and greens - so festive!


Like this one!







Mama always managed to have brightly wrapped gifts for everyone, under the tree. Sometimes it might be five and dime finds...little toys, puzzles, paper dolls, coloring books! Often there were handmade gifts of clothing, warm mittens, scarves, house slippers - all made with Mama's love! And always there would be a doll for my sister and me on Christmas morning!

What sweet memories - our Christmases of the past! ~~~

*Christmas in South Florida in 1950.
Notice - my sis and I have our new Christmas dolls...and look at our bare feet!! :) *










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#4

Another Christmas Eve… ( Immokalee, Fl )

Another Christmas Eve

This Christmas Eve, Mama and Daddy both had to work late.
We wait in the car, my sister and I, for their work to end; getting
increasingly more antsy as time drags by!
We want to get home … get to bed - to sleep - so Santa can come!

Their work ends, at last!

As every child on Christmas Eve must eventually do,
we managed to subdue our excitement enough to,
finally, sleep!

We had left a snack of nuts and fruit for Santa,
as was our custom.
In Santa’s haste to get out quickly and quietly,
after dispersing his gifts,
he dropped a small bunch of the grapes on the back stoop!
I know this to be a fact ...because Daddy said so!
He found the grapes! :)

My Christmas doll of that year not only talked,
but recited the Lord’s Prayer,
word for word!
I was amazed!

~~~

Santa's lost grapes!







Remembering…(on this date)Nov ‘03

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#5

Christmas-Perrine (Perrine, Fl)

The Christmas I was twelve, my sister got a beautiful walking doll with shiny blond hair!

I got a red silky and ruffled party dress. Mom gave me my gift early. I needed it for a very special event at school. It was for a school-boy/girl type social event...a Christmas Sock-Hop!

We all danced in our elaborately decorated socks in the school gym!
(something new and exciting for me!)

So I had one less gift to open on Christmas morning. I did, however, get my first camera that Christmas! :)
(and have been happily snapping away all these years!)

This was my first Christmas of not getting a doll and probably my sister's last Christmas doll!


SO...a page turned...

I felt such sadness in leaving my childhood behind...


Some might argue that I *still * haven't done that!

:)

What do you think? ;)



Just remembering ( on this date)...Dec. 2003



Love,
Junie