Memories of Christmas past and present.

Being I'm at the ripe old age of 79 there are too many Christmas's to remember. I'm grateful for all of them. I

think because of the war years I don't remember the holidays much during that time. My cousins and I always had Christmas stockings. We always had Christmas at our house because we had the biggest house, my aunts lived in Victorian era row houses, we lived in a more modern council house. I do remember one present in particular it was when I was about 10, my favorite gift was a craft set. It was several colors of sealing wax, the kind they used to seal envelopes, in the "olden days". The project I was working on was to melt the wax and drop it on to the end of a pencil and the shape the wax into a flower. I had a lighter to melt the wax, and big blob dropped on my left index finger. The grown ups were all play cards and telling jokes, probably having a drink. I didn't want to bother them so I stoically waited until the wax cooled, and peeled it off. I think several layers of skin came off with it.
The next Christmas I remember I was 14, and they said I was old enough to have a mixed drink. So I had a gin and orange, the drink of choice in those days. The orange is not the orange juice as we know, it was like cool aid with little flecks of dried oranges in it. I have never been sicker, I blamed it on the orange. Years later when my Mother in law, offered me a G and O, I said I'd have it without the orange. I'm sure she thought her son was marrying a drunk. I think after that Christmas got better, just those two stand out in my memory. Here is a picture of a Christmas stocking from the 1940s we usually had an orange in there, only if you had a green ration book. Green books were for the infants, guess they need more vitamin C.

I remember when we lived in Canada and the children were still little. Karen was an infant in her play pen, she got a clown with a nose that lit up and it twisted to play a tune. Kim (2yrs.) got a doll, and Steve (3yrs) got a gun with a target. The gun fired a stick with a suction cup on the end, which ultimately was supposed stick to the target. I was terrified he'd hurt one of his sisters, so I asked Daddy to stand there and let me fire at him to see if it hurt. He manfully stood with his arm clutched in front of him, and I fired. My aim is not good, I hit him in the neck. I don't how much it hurt, but it sure left a hickey.
In 1972 we had moved to Pennsylvania, Steve became an avid Steelers fan and that year, he got everything with their logo on it. Jacket, belt buckle. I even got into football then, loved watching Franco Harris, Lynn Swann such great players. I think Terry Bradshaw was the quarterback.

Steve in his Steelers jacket, his sisters will not like this picture.






Here's Cher's favorite Christmas Picture, the girls are wearing green velvet styled by their Daddy. This was our last year in Canada. Love that aluminum tree.

This is getting to be too long! Fast forward to Christmas 2012 when I went to Florida. Ed and Cher are like kids when it comes to celebrating Christmas. I love this picture Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

The Christmas Tree

Christmas Memories continued....

Guess I wrote too much. I wanted to post more of last Christmas. Three years go I started a Santa collection for Cher and Ed. The first one was Surfer Santa, the next one was Football Santa with Bucs logos, and this year was Golfing Santa. I loved him for his tartan cap.

I think I better get to this year. Since Karen moved to Denver, and Steve and Cher are in Florida, I thought all of my Christian kids are far away, I didn't expect my Jewish children Kim and Philip to celebrate so I was resigned to a "Charlie Brown" Christmas. I didn't mind to much I don't mind being on my own. Kim called one morning and said Mummy I thought of what to do for your Christmas. And so started a new tradition. She said we would go to lunch and then to a movie. I thought that was so sweet. First I have to talk about Christmas Eve. Ann and John Jordan are part of my church family, I always say they adopted me thirty some years ago, when I first started going to Deep River Friends. Every year they have a tradition of going to the Red Lobster. It's been my blessing to be included for several years now.

this was Red Lobster 2011

This year there were fewer of us and the pictures are in groups.

Grace, Cameron, and Faith

John, Ann and I

Quinn 

Evan and Julie

Kim and Philip came over on Christmas day to take me to lunch. First they gave me my present, I was overwhelmed, a Kindle Fire. Now I get to see my books in color. Plus Cher and Ed gave me a very generous gift certificate for Amazon. Karen gave me the cover and stylus for my new Kindle. I am one Happy Camper.

Philip Liz Kim and I

Liz and her friends Sydnie and Haddas
I sat on Liz's lap so she said she was Santa.

these were pictures from the lobby of the Greensboro Auction.

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our White Christmas 2010